Isra-Mart srl:Using Carbon Dioxide Captured from Coal-Fired Power Plants

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Isra-Mart srl news:

* Analysis by: GLG Expert Contributor
* Analysis of: Carbon dioxide contamination possible even with sequestration
* Published at: www.powergenworldwide.com

Summary

The Duke University contributes additional siting parameters restricting the already macro-geologically suitable regions for CO2 burial. From an engineering and cost-effective viewpoint, why bury the collected CO2; promote alternates approaches for its productive use.

Analysis

The Duke University contributes additional siting parameters restricting the already macro-geologically suitable regions for CO2 burial. From an engineering and cost-effective viewpoint, why bury the collected CO2; promote alternates approaches for its productive use. An analogous situation occurred decades ago regarding the removal of Sulfur Dioxide [SO2]with slurries of lime or limestone. The resultant precipitate of sludge generated a rate of about one ton per minute posed a severe disposal problem. Rather than disposal of this material which expensive additives [as proposed by regulatory and research organizations] the private sector developed technology to convert this sludge into usable By-Product Gypsum. This approach should be applied to captured CO2.

Carbon Capture Sequestration [CCS] envisions capturing Carbon Dioxide CO2 and burying it within suitable geological formations. Concepts based upon Oil Industry’s decades of experience injecting CO2 to enhanced pumping deep oil deposits i.e. Enriched Oil Recovery [EOR]. Ideally if a new coal fired power plant was located in a geological region containing deep oil deposits the application of CCS with EOR represents demonstrated technology. The alliance of General Electric, Bechtel and Schlumberge represents a turn-key package implementing Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle [IGCC]with EOR.

Unfortunately new coal fired plants may not all be located within the optimal geological conditions for EOR. Thus geological burial represents the current thinking a demonstration programs e.g. AEP Mountainside W VA. Similarly the proposed Future Gen II in IL would also demonstrate burial of CO2. Governmental Agencies have identified suitable geological formations for CO2 burial – on a macro-basis. The Duke study provides additional siting parameters to avoid contravention of fresh waster surface supplies.

The Electric Utility Industry is reluctant to commit billions of dollars to CCS until the technology has been commercially demonstrated. Studies have shown that piping the captured CO2 to geologically suitable disposal sites represents a cumbersome approach – costly and fraught with regulatory and siting obstacles.

I would posit an alternate approach. Locate new coal-fired power plants within the Unconventional Natural Gas shale formations e.g. Marcellus [Northeast] and Permian [Southwest]. Use collected CO2 to replace water in ‘fracking’ the geology to extract the Natural Gas. Thus new coal plants would provide a low-cost energy source [environmentally acceptable] while contributing to the generation of Natural Gas – also contributing to low-cost energy. This concept allows USA to capitalize on its wealth of coal and natural gas deposits – ensuring independence from foreign energy sources.

The Duke University study does not preclude this concept. Duke researchers collected core samples from four freshwater aquifers around the nation that overlie potential CCS sites and incubated the samples in their university lab for a year, with CO2 bubbling through them. After a year’s exposure to the CO2, analysis showed a number of potential sites where CO2 leaks drive contaminants up tenfold or more. Three key factors – solid-phase metal mobility, carbonate buffering capacity and electron exchanges in the overlying freshwater aquifer – were found to influence the risk of drinking water contamination from underground carbon leaks. Non-conventional Natural Gas recovery through shale formations are not conducted within areas near freshwater resources. The siting of new coal-fired power plants would have to consider locating their plants away from water resources exhibiting concentrations of manganese, iron and calcium that could all be used as geochemical markers of a leak (per Duke University).

The US government and private sector would be well-served to consider investing research monies into demonstrating that captured CO2 from coal-fired power plants could be used to enhance extracting Natural Gas from non-conventional shale formations.