CO 2 Capture and Storage

The CO 2 concentration in the atmosphere has increased due to the combustion of fossil fuels and this is causing concerns of global warming. At present there is no cost effective CO 2 control and capture technologies available at scale for coal-fired plants. The US Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has initiated a research and development program to develop advanced CO 2 capture and compression technologies for both existing and new coal-fired power plants. The goal is to achieve 90% CO 2 capture at less than 35% increase in cost of electricity (CCE) at a commercial scale by the year 2020. The time line for developing a system for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is shown in figure. This chapter outlines an overview of the technologies being investigated for CO 2 capture and sequestration in anticipation of future CO 2 emissions legislations. The different elements in developing a CCS is explained with block diagrams throughout the chapter. The success of CCS depends on the ability to measure the amount of CO 2 at a particular site, to confirm the stored CO 2 is not harming the eco-system and the ability to mitigate any impact associated with CO 2 leakage. References for further reading are given.