5 benefits of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)

Energy production from renewable resources and nuclear has been put into play, but the increase in energy demand because of increasing population and manufacturing call for options like fossil fuels. Energy generation through fossil fuels produces greenhouse gases and adds to global warming. In addition, the continued large-scale use of fossil fuels to generate energy is not sustainable in the long run. Therefore, industry professionals are always looking for ways to minimize emissions.

One such way of controlling the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere is carbon capture technology. Currently, CCS technology is the only viable way of reducing Co2 emissions from industrial plants. The basic idea is to prevent Co2 from being emitted into the atmosphere by capturing it at the source. There are many benefits of CCS, which make it a good fit for reducing carbon emissions despite its cost.

Here are 5 benefits of carbon capture and storage technology:

1. Generation of additional power: If Co2 is geologically stored, then it can be used to extract geothermal heat from the same locations in which it’s injected. This process produces renewable geothermal energy. It can also be used to help power-generation turbines more efficiently using Co2 based steam cycles.

2. Reduction in Co2 emissions: This benefit is the sole reason why CCS technology is invented. CCS can capture +90% carbon emissions when done correctly. Heavy industries use this technology to control their greenhouse emissions.

3. Removal of other pollutants too: Oxyfuel combustion is a type of capture used in CCS. A study done for the Argonne National Laboratory showed that there was a 50% decrease in NOx gasses during oxyfuel combustion compared to combustion using regular air. High concentrations of oxygen used in oxyfuel combustion reduce the amount of production of harmful gasses like nitrogen oxide (NOx) and sulfur dioxide gasses.

4. Additional uses of Co2: Though expensive, there are ways to convert Co2 into a fuel. The captured Co2 can also be used for strengthening concrete, giving way to infrastructural durability. It can also be used to manufacture certain chemicals and some types of plastic.

5. Reduction in the social cost of carbon: Social cost of carbon is an estimate of damages caused to society because of the emission of one extra tonne of Co2 into the atmosphere. By removing Co2 from the source, as done by CCS, the social cost of carbon is also reduced.

Apart from the above benefits of CCS, there is also the advantage of the creation of new jobs. Additional projects of CCS will require more technicians, scientists, and workers. A variety of new employment opportunities would become available in the industry.

Conclusion

CCS is a meaningful step towards a low-carbon future. Fossil fuels remain the largest source of energy generation. The largest contributor of carbon to the air is the energy generation sector. This has to be controlled if we want a sustainable environment for the coming generations. Carbon capture technology can be expensive but the big players are still using it for reducing the harm that is caused to the environment through carbon emissions.