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29/01-2009

CCS is an emerging technology for CO₂ emission reduction. Many research projects are underway all over the world, but only a few large-scale commercial projects are in operation.

The initial widespread deployment of commercial CCS projects will most likely take place in industrialized countries. Nontheless, with successful technology transfer to developing countries, CCS could be implemented all over the world within a few decades.

« Projects in operation	« Pilot plants
« Demonstration projects	« Regulatory and finansial CCS initiatives
« Future CCS plans	« References
« See also

Projects in operation

There are a lot of research projects on CCS going on all over the world, and the number of workshops and conferences held each year is growing. This is a clear indication that CCS is regarded as a significant and valuable technology to combat global warming. Yet today there are only four full-scale CCS projects globally – two in Norway, one in Canada, and one in Algeria.

The four commercial full-scale CCS projects that are currently in operation.

All of these projects involve removing CO₂ from natural gas and sequestering it in geological formations nearby. These projects show that large-scale CCS is technically feasible. However, this application is a much more simple process than removing CO₂ from power plants, which represent the greatest potential for CCS as a strategy to reduce global CO₂ emissions.

Pilot plants

There is still a long way to go before CCS can be realized in full-scale power plants and industrial facilities. In order for this to occur, the technology must first be demonstrated in small-scale applications, known as pilot plants.

There are many pilot plants in operation throughout the world. These plants, which are typically up to 30 MW in size, enable engineers to learn how to design and operate CCS plants optimally. The lessons learned are then implemented in the next phase, which is the construction of large-scale demonstration plants.

One of the most well-known pilot plants is located in Schwarzw Pumpe, Germany where a small plant that captures CO₂ by the oxyfuel process was put into operation in 2007.

Demonstration projects

Even though there are only a few full-scale projects today, there will most likely be a lot of projects within the next decade. First we will see several dozens of demonstration projects where the aim is to prove the technology. Thereafter, widespread global deployment will occur. Realistically, that can happen in 2020 at the earliest.

The EU is planning to build 10-12 demonstration projects all over Europe by 2015 to demonstrate the technology, and thereby to reduce the cost related to CCS technology. The EU even plans to build one of these plants in a developing country to ensure technology transfer to countries that do not have the economy to develop CCS themselves.

But the EU is not alone on planning demonstration projects. Leaders across the world are showing determination to include CCS as a weapon in the fight against global warming. Recently, the G8 vowed to build 20 CCS demonstration projects worldwide. Demonstration plants are being planned in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China and the USA.

Regulatory and finansial CCS initiatives

In addition to research projects and demonstration plants, many regulatory and financial processes are underway that support the deployment of CCS.

In 2006, Australia was the first country to establish the necessary regulations for CCS. This was an important milestone because the industry needs well-defined regulation on how to execute CO₂ storage before investing in commercial CCS projects.

Regulations are also underway in the EU, where a new directive for CO₂ storage was established in 2008.

Furthermore, Australian authorities have vowed to establish and fund a new institute whose aim is to facilitate the development of CCS technology and the building of demonstration projects. The government has even promised substantial funding for this institute.

Canada is another frontrunner in CCS and is providing substantial public funding to ensure further development of CCS technology.

Future CCS plans

CCS is expected to be a commercially available technology within a decade or two, possibly as early as 2020. The cost of CCS is expected to be roughly comparable to the cost of emitting carbon dioxide by 2030. This means that lots of commercial CCS projects all over the world would become economically viable. It is estimated that there could be approximately 100 CCS plants in Europe alone by 2030.[1]

References

1. Carbon Capture & Storage: Assessing the Economics McKinsey & Company. 2008