What is Carbon Capture?
Carbon capture is a process that involves capturing and storing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions generated from power plants, industrial facilities, and other sources to prevent it from entering the atmosphere. This technology plays a critical role in mitigating climate change by reducing the concentration of greenhouse gases, helping to limit global warming. Carbon capture comprises three main steps: capturing CO2 emissions from point sources, transporting them to suitable storage sites, and safely storing them underground through geological sequestration or utilizing them for enhanced oil recovery.
Long answer
Carbon capture, also known as carbon capture and storage (CCS), is a multi-step process aimed at removing carbon dioxide emissions from industrial processes before they are released into the atmosphere. The rising levels of CO2 and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere contribute significantly to global warming and climate change. To combat this problem, carbon capture technologies have been developed.
The first step of carbon capture involves capturing or separating CO2 emissions from point sources such as power plants, cement factories, steel mills, and refineries. Various methods can be employed for this purpose, including post-combustion capture - where CO2 is separated from flue gas after the fuel has been burned; pre-combustion capture - where CO2 is removed before combustion occurs; and oxy-fuel combustion - which involves burning fuel in pure oxygen instead of air to produce concentrated CO2 streams.
Once captured, the second step is transportation. The extracted CO2 needs to be transported via pipelines or ships to appropriate storage sites. This may involve long distances depending on the location of emission sources and storage areas. Importantly, safe transport methods need to be employed to prevent leaks or accidental release during transit.
Finally, the captured CO2 is stored permanently underground through a process called sequestration or utilization. Storage sites commonly include deep saline formations beneath impermeable rock layers or depleted oil fields that can still retain CO2. Injecting the CO2 into these geological formations ensures it remains trapped underground and does not re-enter the atmosphere. Additionally, some CO2 can be utilized in enhanced oil recovery (EOR), where it is injected into oil reservoirs to increase oil extraction while simultaneously storing CO2.
Carbon capture has the potential to significantly reduce carbon emissions and mitigate climate change. However, it currently faces challenges such as high costs, energy requirements for capture processes, finding suitable storage sites, and public acceptance. Nonetheless, ongoing innovations and research aim to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of carbon capture technologies to make them more viable on a larger scale.