Plant Services - November 2007 - (Page 15)

KEN SChNEPf THE PS FILES Where to put the gas Climate change debates put heat on carbon capture and storage projects S equestering CO2, also known as carbon capture and cost share is $318 million. These projects are the first of sevstorage (CCS), in recent months has moved from eral sequestration demonstration projects planned through drawing board concepts to real projects backed by DOE’s Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships. universities, corporations and the federal government. Canada’s New Government and the Province of Alberta Worldwide debate over climate change has sparked the inwill partner with EPCOR Utilities and the Canadian Clean tellectual and financial support of these projects. Power Coalition (CCPC) in a $33 million research and de“For us, as a company, the debate about whether manvelopment project. To reduce air pollutant emissions associatmade climate change is happening is over,” says Jeroen van ed with coal-fired electricity generation, the technology takes der Veer, chief executive at Shell. “The debate now is about advantage of CCS, which is expected to reduce greenhouse what we can do about it. Businesses like ours gas emissions to almost zero. The project will need to turn CO2 management into a busibe located at EPCOR’s Genesee Generating ness opportunity by leading the search for Station west of Edmonton. A $33 million responsible ways to manage CO2 and use en“The application of this technology, on this ergy more efficiently. But that also requires research project scale, with this type of coal, has not been used concerted action by governments to create the anywhere else in the world,” says Dr. Dapromises to long-term, market-based policies needed to vid Lewin, EPCOR’s senior vice-president, make Canada make it worthwhile for companies to invest. IGCC development and CCPC chair. a world leader With fossil fuel use and CO2 levels continuing In the U.K., cutting-edge technology that to grow fast, there is no time to lose.” ‘captures’ polluting CO2 and permanently in clean coal Shell is involved in large-scale CCS demonstores it inside rocks is under development technology. stration projects. One is ZeroGen, a low-CO2 at a new University of Nottingham research coal-fired power project being considered in center. The Centre for Innovation in Carbon Australia. Another, in Norway, is the largest Capture and Storage (CICCS) — scheduled offshore project to date to store CO2 and use to open in October — plans to develop novel it to enhance oil recovery. The Halten project could solve a technologies to permanently and safely trap and store greencentral Norway power shortage and reduce CO2 emissions house gases, so they aren’t released into the atmosphere. by as much as 2.5 million tonnes a year, the company says. “The novel technologies developed at the Centre will enBoth projects are at the feasibility stage. Shell also is supable the U.K. to meet its targets for the reduction of carbon plying waste CO2 from its Pernis refinery to greenhouses dioxide emissions, and thus help the U.K. to play its part in in the Netherlands, and exploring CO2 management in the global efforts to tackle climate change,” says Dr MarotoMiddle East with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Valer, Director of the Centre. The first three large-scale carbon sequestration projects One concept is to extract CO2 from burning coal into a in the United States (and the largest single set in the world reactor with silicate-based rocks. Once the CO2 is locked to date) received funding in October from the Department inside the rock by the CICCS process, it is permanently of Energy (DOE). The three projects – Plains Carbon Dicontained and can’t go back to its previous state. This enoxide Reduction Partnership; Southeast Regional Carbon sures the permanent storage of the CO2 while producing a Sequestration Partnership; and Southwest Regional Partcommercial product (bricks) in the process. nership for Carbon Sequestration – will conduct large-volEven if climate change weren’t such a hot topic, these ume tests for storing 1 million or more tons of CO2 in deep CCS projects have merit in that they all aim to find a posisaline reservoirs. DOE plans to invest $197 million over 10 tive use for industry’s byproducts. years, subject to annual appropriations from Congress, for the projects, whose estimated value including partnership E-mail Managing Editor Ken Schnepf at kschnepf@putman.net. November 2007 www.PLANTSERVICES.com 15 http://www.plantservices.com/voices/ps_files.html http://www.PLANTSERVICES.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Plant Services - November 2007

Plant Services - November 2007 Contents New Tools Letters Let Us Know Where to Put the Gas Up and Running How are you Fighting Crisis? What Works Why is the Best Practice Transfer so Hard? Who are you Going to Call? Chained to Power Mobile Mindset Making Money in the Lube Lab Grabbing a Moving Target Bagging the BTUs Keeping Mellow Preserving Health and Safety The Power of Reliability Excellence

Plant Services - November 2007

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