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Doosan Babcock - the future of energy in the UK Sulzer - putting a chill on global warming

July / August 2009 Issue 10

High rate CO2 injection into oil reservoirs for EOR and storage Cryogenic carbon capture technology Revaluing mine waste rock for carbon capture and storage Transporting CO2 by pipeline: US issues and opportunities Element Energy - new study into CO2 pipeline infrastructure CCJ10:Layout 1 14/07/2009 10:51 Page 2

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Contents Leaders Doosan Babcock - the future of energy in the UK Clean coal is a vital part of the ongoing balanced energy portfolio, and Government must demonstrate a commitment to clean coal technologies and strive to make power generation from coal as clean as possible says Dr Mike Farley, Director of Technology Policy Liaison, Doosan Babcock Energy 2 Sulzer - putting a chill on global warming Sulzer Pumps and Sulzer Chemtech are leading manufacturers of pumps and mass July/August 2009 Issue 10 transfer equipment that can be used in all stages of the CCS chain to successfully reduce CO2 emissions 4 Carbon Capture Journal High rate CO2 injection into oil reservoirs for EOR and storage 213 Marsh Wall, London, E14 9FJ, UK www.carboncapturejournal.com Injection of CO2 into oil reservoirs for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) may provide the Tel +44 (0)207 510 4935 additional benefit of sequestering CO2. This article describes one example which Fax +44 (0)207 510 2344 suggests this policy might also be successfully applied to some North Sea reservoirs, both for the benefit of EOR and CO2 storage. By RPS Energy 8 Editor Keith Forward [email protected] Projects and policy Publisher Karl Jeffery UK releases clean coal consultation and proposes funding bill [email protected] The UK has set out its intention to be at the forefront of CCS development in “A Subscriptions Framework for the development of clean coal: consultation document.” A new [email protected] Energy Bill has also been proposed for the forthcoming session of Parliament 12 Advertising sales DOE invests $408 Million in two coal CCS projects Alec Egan Tel +44 (0)203 051 6548 Projects by Basin Electric Power Cooperative and Hydrogen Energy International [email protected] LLC have been selected for up to $408 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 22

Carbon Capture Journal is your one stop information source for new technical Separation and capture developments, opinion, regulatory and research activity with carbon capture, Cryogenic carbon capture technology transport and storage. Sustainable Energy Solutions has commercialized an innovative CO2 capture technology called the cryogenic CO2 capture process designed to separate a nearly Carbon Capture Journal print magazine is pure stream of CO2 from power plant gases, and according to SES having significant mailed to over 2,000 power company energy and cost advantages compared to alternatives 18 executives, government policy makers, investors and researchers, with a further CO2CRC H3 capture project launched 500-1000 copies distributed at trade Australia’s most comprehensive post-combustion CO2 capture research facility has shows, as well as being downloaded opened at International Power’s Hazelwood Power Station in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley 16 approx. 2,000 times as a pdf.

Subscriptions: £195 a year for 6 issues. To Transport and storage subscribe, please contact Karl Jeffery on [email protected] Revaluing mine waste rock for carbon capture and storage Alternatively you can subscribe online at Current research at the University of British Columbia is focusing mineralization, as www.d-e-j.com/store an industrialized solution to the problem of CO2 storage. By Dr. Michael Hitch, Assistant Professor, Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering 24 Front cover: Doosan Babcock’s 40 MWt OxyCoal™ Firing Demonstration Facility in Renfrew, Scotland Transporting CO2 by pipeline: US issues and opportunities Thus far, the approach to widespread CCS deployment has mostly focused on the more demanding undertaking of carbon capture, but the practicalities involved in transporting CO2 to storage sites are just as vital because an extensive interstate pipeline network will be required says Jude Clemente, Homeland Security Department, San Diego State University 27 New study into the challenges and potential for CO2 pipeline infrastructure CO2 transportation tends to receive a lower profile than CO2 capture and CO2 storage, but this crucial link in the CCS chain should not be brushed aside says Harsh Pershad, Element Energy 31

Carbon capture journal (Print) ISSN 1757-1995 July - August 2009 - carbon capture journal 1 Carbon capture journal (Online) ISSN 1757-2509 CCJ10:Layout 1 14/07/2009 10:51 Page 2

Leaders CCS technology developments and the clean coal situation in the UK

The world is facing an increase in energy demand and Government and Industry have to come up with solutions to meet this growing need whilst also reducing emissions. Clean coal is a vital part of the ongoing balanced energy portfolio, and Government must demonstrate a commitment to clean coal technologies and strive to make power generation from coal as clean as possible. By Dr Mike Farley, Director of Technology Policy Liaison, Doosan Babcock Energy

The future of energy 2030 and 800-850 Mt (20%) in 2050. New A recent independent study on the future val- coal stations are 20% cleaner than existing ue of coal carbon abatement technology to coal-fired plants and will be 80-90% cleaner the UK industry, which was carried out by once CCS is added. consultants AEA Group and released by the The International Energy Agency (IEA) Department of Energy and Climate Change Energy Technology Perspectives “Blue” (DECC) revealed that clean coal technology Scenario, which is consistent with the World could bring between £2-4 billion a year into Energy Outlook 450ppm case, defines how the UK economy by 2030, and support be- the CO2 emissions reductions might be tween 30,000-60,000 jobs1. Experts forecast shared over a range of measures. CCS has a that the CCS industry will be comparable in vital role, accounting for 19% of the emis- size with the oil industry. We believe that sions reduction from the baseline. To meet CCS has the potential to be a positive engine GHG reduction targets the 2008 IEA Energy for economic growth. Technology Perspectives require 19% of re- Earlier this year Energy Secretary Ed ductions to come via CCS. It will be neces- Miliband made a commitment to a more def- sary to build 80 power plants per year with inite route to carbon capture and coal-fired CCS from 2020 to 2050, approximately half power stations. In June 2009 Miliband an- being coal and half gas. nounced that permission would not be grant- We believe Europe can set an excellent “Unless there is early certainty of funding for ed to build new coal power stations unless example by using a “twin-track” approach - energy companies for CCS demonstration they included demonstration-scale CCS proj- building modern high efficiency capture- plants, the UK faces being left behind at a time when the United States have put ects from the outset, and could be easily ready clean coal power plants in parallel funding of such demonstrations at the heart retrofitted once CCS became viable on a with demonstrating suitable carbon capture of the country’s economic stimulus package.” large scale. and storage technologies on a large scale is - Dr Mike Farley, Doosan Babcock Energy We support this plan and would urge the quickest, and most valuable immediate implementation on the fastest possible contribution the UK can make towards cut- timescale. Unless there is early certainty of ting CO2 emissions from fossil global- sufficient to build confidence in the technolo- funding for energy companies for CCS ly. gy and build the necessary capacity in the in- demonstration plants, the UK faces being In the UK, all fossil-fuelled power dustry to allow commercialisation from 2020. left behind at a time when the United States plants must now be designed “capture- Doosan Babcock offers advanced su- have put funding of such demonstrations at ready”, with plants located and designed percritical capture-ready boilers with full the heart of the country’s economic stimulus such that they can be retrofitted with CCS. guarantees, giving a 23% CO2 saving in package. To avoid “carbon lock-in” it is essential all comparison to the average UK coal power fossil power plants globally are similarly plant. The company has also established a Carbon Capture and Storage built capture–ready. Between 2010 and global R&D centre in Renfrew for power technology and demonstrations 2020, around 1000 such plants can be antic- plant boilers and carbon capture technolo- To gain a competitive advantage and set an ipated globally. gies. example on a global level, it is important that The demonstrations would be in two Doosan Babcock and its parent Doosan progress in the field of clean coal in the UK tranches: Heavy can provide all three CCS technolo- is made as soon as possible. • Initial large-scale demonstrations – gies – Post Combustion, Oxyfuel and Pre- It is predicted2 that in the EU alone, re- 12 in Europe, 20 globally – committed by combustion – and will participate in large- ductions of CO2 by CCS from the power 2010 and operational by 2015 scale demonstration projects. sector could reach 161 Mt (metric ton) in • Additional 100 full-scale early The company recently acquired an eq- stage deployment projects globally, building uity stake in HTC Purenergy, a leading post 1http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?id=1660 up from 20/year to 40/year, committed by combustion CCS technology provider, and 0&channel=0&title=Government+comes+under+fire +on+clean+coal 2015 (i.e. before the initial demonstrations signed a licensing agreement with HTC to 2EUR-LEX, the portal to European Union law, Brussels, are running) and operational by 2020 use University of Regina amine scrubbing 23.01.2008: “Supporting early demonstration of Such a programme, in which the UK technology. sustainable power generation from fossil fuels”, http://eur-lex.europa.eu/en/index.htm must take an above-average share, would be For oxyfuel firing the company is cur-

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Leaders

rently commissioning its OxyCoal Clean fordability, security of supplies and jobs for combustion Test facility at its Renfrew R+D UK workers. Centre. During the summer of 2009 we will CCS technologies need to be promot- demonstrate OxyCoal combustion on a full ed, developed and deployed quickly, and ef- size 40 MWth coal burner suitable for new fectively commercialised by 2020. The Gov- and retrofit applications. ernment needs to provide sufficient incen- tives to drive four CCS projects covering the Government action ranges of capture technologies and storage The UK electricity generation fleet is ageing sites as soon as possible. and there is a need for up to 15,000 MWe re- In the longer term, 2020 onwards, it is placement fossil power plants by 2015. New hoped such incentives will be provided by nuclear plant is not an option in this time the carbon price under the ETS or global frame and whilst renewable energy will con- equivalent but, if not, CCS may need to be tribute, it will not be able to meet the need mandated, perhaps by an Emissions Per- for new capacity alone. formance Standard. If an EPS is pursued it Gas generation is the default option but needs to be at a level which will require CCS this aggravates energy security by giving in- to be fitted to coal and gas power plants. The Doosan Babcock’s 40 MWt OxyCoal™ Firing creased exposure to the price volatility of initial proposals made in Europe for an EPS Demonstration Facility in Renfrew, Scotland imported gas and has less beneficial environ- of 350 or 500 g/kwh would permit unabated mental credentials than when fuelled by in- gas fired generation whilst preventing the tive opposition. There should be a target for digenous gas as approximately 25% of the building of capture ready coal fired plant. the proportion of clean coal in the portfolio available energy is used to liquefy and trans- In the short and medium term, demon- and a timescale for the achievement of near- port gas as LNG. stration projects will require incentives as zero emissions for coal and gas generation Coal power projects with CCS can pro- long as the CO2 allowance price is not suf- with the objective of decarbonising electric- vide very cost effective, reliable low carbon ficient. The funding for such incentives ity generation by 2030. If we are to avert the electricity compared to some forms of re- should be found from proposed levy on elec- impending energy gap, still more ambition newable generation. Supporting the intro- tricity – at a cost less than the cost of an and action is urgently needed by the govern- ductory tranche of four coal CCS projects equivalent amount of electricity from off- ment. proposed in the DECC consultation will en- shore wind. Full auctioning is envisaged able Government to have much greater cer- from 2013 and could raise £5 Bn/year to the Further information tainty of meeting its carbon reduction tar- UK exchequer for a carbon price of Visit: www.doosanbabcock.com gets. £33/tonne. Or contact: All four projects are necessary to Positive high level endorsement of the carboncapture@ achieve the government’s four tests of the future role for coal has been given by the doosanbabcock.com proposed policy - emissions reductions, af- government and endorsed by the Conserva-

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Leaders Sulzer - putting a chill on global warming

Sulzer Pumps and Sulzer Chemtech are leading manufacturers of pumps and mass transfer equipment that can be used in all stages of the CCS chain to help successfully reduce CO2 emissions.

CO2 emissions from the global use of fossil totaled around 27 Gt CO2/yr in 2005. Public electricity and heat production are by far the largest cause of CO2 emissions in this category. Almost 60% of emissions were at- tributable to large (>0.1 Mt CO2/yr) station- ary emission sources. Fossil fuel power plants that use natu- ral gas or coal as feedstock account for ap- proximately 30% of this figure. There are more than 2000 power stations globally that each emit over 1 Mt CO2/year. They are the most important potential targets for CO2 capture.

Carbon capture Figure 1 - Sulzer’s Mellapak™ and MellapakPlus™ packings are ideal for CCS applications as CO2 is a volatile gas at ambient conditions. they combine low pressure drop with high capacity and efficiency to allow for a substantially A considerable level of investment and addi- reduced column size tional energy is required to capture it from inert gases—mainly nitrogen. Conventional 400 MW combined-cycle natural gas power choice of the scrubbing liquid. The faster the fossil power stations burn natural gas or coal plant has a flue gas flow rate of more than 2 CO2 reacts, the less packing height is re- at close to atmospheric pressure, which 000 000 m3/h. Absorbers that are capable of quired. However, less packing height typi- means that the CO2 must be removed under handling such exceptionally high gas vol- cally means more energy is needed to release difficult conditions before the clean inert umes require diameters of around 18 m or the CO2 in the regenerator. gases are released into the atmosphere. The rectangular footprints of 10 m× 25 m (the Intensive research is therefore being objective is to produce a concentrated, easi- column shape depends on the process licen- conducted in almost all regions of the world ly transportable stream of CO2 at high pres- sor). to develop new solvents that will require less sure. There are three principal methods of Sulzer Chemtech is experienced in de- energy. A fan is required to force the large achieving this: signing columns of similar sizes and in man- flue gas stream through the absorber. The re- Precombustion: CO2 is separated pri- ufacturing the related proprietary equipment. duction in the pressure drop across the pack- or to combustion. This process is complex In addition, a considerable amount of solvent ing and column internals is a key parameter but offers significant potential. (mainly amines) is needed to capture CO2 in order to save energy. Postcombustion: CO2 is separated by absorption (e.g., 2000m3/h for a 400MW Sulzer Mellapak™ is the ideal column from the flue gas after combustion. This power station). The rich solvent is pumped packing for this application because it com- method reduces the net electricity output of to the regenerator to release CO2, and the bines the requirements of vacuum applica- the power station by more than 20%. How- lean solvent is pumped back to the absorber. tions (low pressure drop) with gas sweeten- ever, CCS development currently focuses on Producing a design for the liquid distributors this form of technology due to the fact that that will spread the solvent evenly over the it is already available and existing power column cross-sectional area is challenging. plants can be retrofitted. Test rigs for liquid distributors are Oxyfuel process: is used in- available at Sulzer to overcome these chal- stead of air in the combustion process and lenges; the rigs make it possible to conduct therefore produces a flue gas consisting tests with water before installing the distrib- mainly of CO2 and water. The CO2 can then utors in the columns. be separated by condensation. The energy A variety of Sulzer single-stage stan- penalty that results from the oxyfuel process dard pumps can be used to circulate liquids is similar to the penalty in the case of post- in the postcombustion capture proess. Sulzer combustion technology. Existing power Pumps has extensive experience in the area plants can be retrofitted for this purpose. of column is another critical issue: Sulzer This process is promising, and demonstra- Chemtech uses computational fluid dynam- tion plants are currently under construction. ics (CFD) to optimize gas inlet geometry with the aim of achieving the equal velocity Sulzer solutions to carbon collection distribution of gas after entry into the col- challenges umn (Fig. 2). Figure 2 - Sulzer Chemtech has years of Conventional fossil power stations have ex- The packing height required to absorb experience using computational fluid dynamics tremely high flue gas rates. For example, a 85% to 90% of the CO2 depends on the (CFD) to derive optimal gas inlet geometry

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A lot of companies are making tional structured packing, depend- structured packings for carbon ing on pressure, among many other capture, but none has ever beaten advantages. Our products and the performance and reliability extensive application know-how Sulzer Chemtech Canada, Inc. of Sulzer Chemtech equipment. will help you put a chill on global 5218-68 Avenue Sulzer’s MellapakPlus offers up to warming. Contact us today. Edmonton, Alberta T6B 2X7, Canada 40% more capacity than a conven- Phone: +1 780-577-7999 Fax: +1 780-577-7980 E-mail: [email protected] For more information, visit www.sulzerchemtech.com Website: www.sulzerchemtech.com CCJ10:Layout 1 14/07/2009 10:51 Page 6

Leaders

ing (high capacity and efficiency). In addi- tion, Mellapak has a mechanically stable structure that allows the manufacturing process to be completed with a minimum amount of material. Mellapak offers a greater geometric area for gas/liquid contact per kg of stainless steel than with random packing—an important fac- tor in improving mass transfer (Fig. 1). At present, CO2 is only routinely sepa- rated at a few large industrial plants such as natural gas processing and ammonia produc- tion facilities. No power stations are equipped with a full size CO2 capture unit, but several pilot units are already in opera- tion, and many others are planned. Further- more, a demonstration unit that will capture 100 000 t of CO2 per year is scheduled to be built in 2009. The construction of a full-size plant is planned for 2011.

Transportation of the delicate Figure 3 - Multistage GSG diffuser pumps are used for heavy-duty applications in refineries, substances petrochemical plants, and gas processing. They pump compressed CO2 or, as in this example, The CO2 captured is usually compressed to 0.4 specific gravity cold ethylene a supercritical state (pressure > 74 bar) for transportation. CO2 can be transported via The cost of cooling CO2 to less than Outlook pipelines or by rail, road, or sea in tankers. 27 °C to achieve dense phase can be substan- CCS technology is still at an early stage. Pipelines are the preferred option when tial. Pumps are more efficient than compres- Companies and countries are lining up proj- transporting large quantities of CO2 over sors for the last compression stage in colder ects to demonstrate CCS technology while distances of up to around 1000 km. The se- climates, where cooling down to 10°C to 15 they await government backing and funding. lection of the pump, the mechanical seal, and °C can be performed economically using Sulzer is liaising with customers and is the operation of the pump are critical. Sulzer cold sea water (Fig. 4). Sulzer multiphase involved at an early stage in the process de- has over 25 years of experience in pumping pumps may be used for 2-phase compression sign phase of CCS projects. At present, most solvents to capture CO2, as well as in pump- with suction pressures below critical pres- customers are designing pilot plants—espe- ing liquefied CO2 and similar low-lubricity sure. cially for the CO2 capture business—or are fluids (e.g., ethylene) in the USA and Eu- evaluating more CO2 pipelines for EOR. rope. Sulzer Pumps offers a wide portfolio CO2 transportation and injection They are likely to proceed with full- of pumps capable of compressing the CO2 The CO2 for injection has to be almost pure scale implementation in the next few years for transportation, injection, and storage. and dry to comply with existing European in conjunction with technology providers regulations. Sulzer pumps, used for the last they know and trust. Sulzer is committed to CO2 compression compression stage, can be applied for seizing the opportunities emerging in this CO2 usually exits the regenerator at relative- pipeline booster and CO2 injection duties. field. ly low pressure and has to be compressed to The suction pressure is ~80 bar to 100 bar at least 80 bar to get it above its critical pres- and discharge pressure can be up to 300 bar Contact the company sure. At 80 bar to 250 bar, CO2 density (depending on the injection environment, mainly varies in line with changes in tem- i.e., depth and formation). CO2 is also used Sulzer Chemtech perature. A higher density results in smaller for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). It is cur- Markus Duss pipeline diameters, smaller machinery rently widely used for EOR in the USA. Sulzer-Allee 48 (pumps or compressors), and potentially 8404 Winterthur lower costs—for the same mass flow. Applications of CCS Switzerland

Liquid Supercritical “fluid” Vapor No applications currently exist to confirm Phone +41 52 262 67 14 pumps heavier >> lighter compressors the scale-up of CCS technology when fitted Fax +41 52 262 00 68

Critical point (74 bar, 27 °C) to a full-size power plant. The priority in the markus.duss at sulzer.com development of CO2 capture technology is Solid = Two-phase dome dry ice 1 Few bubbles to reduce costs and increase efficiency. The Sulzer Pumps 2 Pressure 1 2 Many bubbles priority in the storage of CO2 is to establish Ralf Gerdes Compress with compressor Solid = dry ice Cool the credibility of this approach using a safe Zürcherstrasse 12 Pressurize with pump Multiphase pump and reliable method of long-term storage. 8401 Winterthur Enthalpy Sulzer is one of the main suppliers in major Switzerland Figure 4 - Multiphase pumps handle gas segments involved in the CCS business and Phone +41 52 262 85 45 contents of up to 95%. They may be used in CCS applications if a cooling stage can be has strong customer relationships with the Fax +41 52 262 01 80 performed economically through the 2-phase companies involved in CCS business devel- ralf.gerdes at sulzer.com dome of the CO2 pressure-enthalpy diagram opment.

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ACI presents the 3rd annual Carbon Capture and Sequestration Summit Addressing the Economic, Policy and Regulatory Challenges to Accelerate CCS Commercialization

September 14 - 15, 2009 | Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington DC

Hear CCS Industry Leaders Share An Executive Forum Designed to Establish and Promote a First Hand Strategic Insights: Framework and an Integrated Approach to CCS Technologies - Highlights Include: Alberta Carbon Excelsior Energy, Inc. Capture and Storage • Analysis of the evolving federal and state legal and regulatory frameworks Development Council JP Morgan Global Commodities for CCS Alstom Power Khosla Ventures • Understanding the economics and cost of implementing CCS Battelle Kinder-Morgan • Funding options for fi nancing CCS projects BP CO Company 2 • Bridging the disparate business models and approaches to risk between Calera Corporation Lawrence Livermore the power and the oil/gas industries National Laboratory Carbon Sciences • Efforts to accelerate the availability of CO2 transport infrastructure Natural Resources Chaparral Energy Defense Council • CCS technological advancements and their impact on CCS economics Clean Coal Technology New Energy Finance • Technical and commercial approaches from current CCS pilot projects Foundation of Texas and demonstrations (CCTFT) Schlumberger Carbon Services • CCS activities and developments in China - and their possible impact Climate Change on CCS cost-reduction Capital Southern California Edison Coal Utilization Research Council Southern Company ConocoPhillips Tenaska, Inc. Supporting Associations: Edison Electric Total Institute US Senate, Energy Electric Power and Natural Resources Research Institute Committee (EPRI) Earn World Resources Media Partners: CLE Environmental Institute Credits Defense

As a Carbon Capture Journal subscriber, you are entitled to a $300 discount when referencing discount code “CCJ” Register Now • 888-224-2480 • www.CarbonCaptureSummit.com CCJ10:Layout 1 14/07/2009 10:51 Page 8

Leaders High rate CO2 injection into oil reservoirs for EOR - potentially large storage benefit Injection of CO2 into oil reservoirs for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) may provide the additional benefit of sequestering CO2. Some operators of CO2 EOR schemes onshore in the United States, for example Denbury Resources Inc., inject CO2 continuously at high rates achieving high oil recoveries. This article describes one example which suggests this policy might also be successfully applied to some North Sea reservoirs, both for the benefit of EOR and CO2 storage. Eugene Balbinski, Matthew Goodfield and Barry Mead all of RPS Energy

RPS Energy carried out a number of simula- tion studies of CO2 EOR schemes for the UK government using a fully compositional model incorporating a representative UKCS geology. The anticlinal structure contained about 220 MMSTB oil originally in place and was 50 ft thick at the crest. The initial reservoir pressure was just over 4000 psia and the minimum miscibility pressure (MMP) for CO2/oil was 3460 psia, so it was expected that a highly miscible flood could be achieved. An initial 12 year waterflood recovered 40% of the oil origi- nally in place but, although this maintained voidage, pressures around the crestal pro- ducers fell significantly below the MMP. In order to promote CO2/oil miscibility injection was started for three months with- out production, raising producer pressures back towards the original reservoir pressure. Four basic CO2 injection scenarios were considered depending on how or whether the vertical injectors were re-locat- ed from their original waterflood positions, Figure 1 - CO2 concentrations after 20 years injection see Table 1. Four to five hydrocarbon pore volumes were injected in 20 years, see Fig- No attempt was made to optimise these ‘Near OWC’), producer-injector well spac- ure 1. Injector pressures were limited to 6000 cases, or to construct a single optimal case, ings were typical of UKCS offshore fields, psia and producers were limited to minimum as part of the purpose of the project was to but in the other two cases well spacings were bottom hole pressures of 3500 psia to avoid demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of less, with one (‘Crestal’) being typical of on- pressures falling below the MMP. Producer each scenario. In practice, for an actual proj- shore fields. watercut limits of 99% were set, but no min- ect it would be possible and likely to be If none of the original injection wells imum oil rates or maximum CO2 production worthwhile, to construct a single optimal are re-located (‘Downdip Case’), oil produc- rates were applied. scenario. In two of the cases (‘Downdip’ and tion rates build up slowly as the injected CO2 must then traverse about 7000 to 9000 CASE DESCRIPTION ft of water before contacting oil. However, in this case oil rates are maintained at higher Downdip Injectors remain in their original waterflood locations injecting into the rates for longer than for the cases were in- water zone below the original Oil/Water Contact (OWC). jectors are re-located much nearer the crest (‘Crestal’ and ‘Flank’). Near OWC After waterflooding, injectors re-located updip, just within the original oil For injectors re-located just within the zone. oil zone, (‘Near OWC’ case), oil production rates do rise quickly, but are also maintained Crestal After waterflooding, injectors re-located updip to the crest of the field, for longer. For both the ‘Downdip’ and ‘Near typically about 2400 ft from producers. OWC’ cases, there is a long period, exceed- ing ten years, of relatively low backproduc- Flank After waterflooding, injectors re-located updip at an intermediate position tion of CO2, see Figure 2. between the ‘Crestal’ and ‘Near OWC’ cases. 1Report to the North Sea Basin Task Force, “Development of a CO2 Transport and Storage Network in the North Sea”, Table 1: Simulation Case Descriptions Element Energy, Poyry Energy and the British Geological Survey, for BERR 2007. 8 carbon capture journal - July - August 2009 CCJ10:Layout 1 14/07/2009 10:51 Page 9

2nd Anuual Carbon Capture & Sequestration Policy, Economics, Regulation, and Risk

September 14–15, 2009 • Westin Grand Hotel • Washington, DC

Register by August 14, 2009 and SAVE up to $200

The latest information on policy and economics of CCS!

• Federal and state support for rapid deployment of CCS • New state initiatives on ownership rights for sequestration • Estimating the amount of CCS that can be developed in different regions of the US • Economics of CCS — Realistic estimates of the costs and time frame • Risks and parameters for CCS projects including work currently in progress

Outstanding speakers include:

Arizona Dept. of Environmental Quality Minnesota PUC Barclays Capital New Energy Finance BlueSource Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Burns & McDonnell Stoel Rives LLP Carnegie Mellon University Southern Company Clean Air Task Force Tremont Group LLC Congressional Budget Office U.S. DOE FERC U.S. EPA Headwaters Clean Carbon Services U.S. Geological Survey IOGCC U.S. Senate Kansas Corporation Commission Vinson & Elkins LLP

Kinder Morgan CO2 Company Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs LLP

Sponsored by:

For a complete agenda or to register and SAVE up to $200, visit us online at www.events.platts.com or call us at 866-355-2930 (toll-free in the US) or 781-430-2100 (direct).

For more information and For sponsorship opportunities, For media inquiries, contact: speaking opportunities, contact: contact: Gina Herlilhy Ron Berg Lorne Grout Tel: 781-430-2109 Tel: 781-430-2118 Tel: 781-430-2112 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

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Leaders

Downdip NearOWC Flank Crestal Downdip NearOWC Flank Crestal Downdip NearOWC Flank Crestal Extended Waterflood

60 400 14 35

12 50 30 300 10 40 25

8 20 200 30 6 15 20 4 10 100 10 CO2 Retained (%IHPV) 2 5 CO2 Retained (MMCO2 tonnes) Gross CO2 Utilisation (Mscf/STB) Utilisation CO2 Gross

0 0 0 (%STOIIP) Recovery Oil Incremental 0 0 5 10 15 20 0 5 10 15 20 0 5 10 15 20 Time (years) Time (years) Time (years)

Figure 2 - Gross CO2 Utilisation Against Time Figure 3 - CO2 Stored in Reservoir Against Figure 4 - Cumulative Incremental Oil Time Recovery Against Time

This shows the Gross CO2 Utilisation, cost and value assumptions made in a report oil price and cost of supply pipeline. the ratio of injected CO2 to incremental oil to the North Sea Basin Task Force1 for a It has been demonstrated that continu- recovery, calculated on an annual basis. For range of economic scenarios. Overall the ous CO2 injection at high rates into a medi- both these cases CO2 is stored in almost ‘Near OWC’ and ‘Flank’ cases have typical- um size UKCS type reservoir may be feasi- 60% of the initial hydrocarbon pore volume ly the greatest economic value, though the ble and can achieve both high incremental after 20 years injection, see Figure 3. High ‘Near OWC’ case has the advantage that oil recoveries and CO2 storage in areas incremental recoveries over extended water about double the amount of CO2 is stored where reservoir thickness is comparable to flooding of 22 to 25% STOIIP were achieved and CO2 backproduction remains relatively onshore reservoirs in the USA, and where after 20 years injection, see Figure 4. low for about 10 years. The absolute eco- wells can be located to optimise EOR per- In the cases for which injectors are re- nomic viability depends on the specific eco- formance. located near the crest (‘Crestal’ and ‘Flank’), nomic scenario considered, particularly the high oil production rates are obtained from the start. However, there is also an immedi- Acknowledgement About the company ate rapid rise in CO2 production with a high The authors are grateful to the UK Depart- RPS Energy is an international consultan- percentage of CO2 injected being backpro- ment of Energy and Climate Change cy providing independent advice on the duced after a short time, see Figure 2. Oil (DECC) for funding this work and per- exploration and development of oil and production rates also fall very substantially mission to publish. Any views expressed gas, renewable energy and other natural by about five years CO2 injection, because or interpretations made are those of the resources; the management of the envi- the target oil is significantly less in these two authors. ronment; the health and safety of people cases. These cases only store about half the and the development of energy related in- CO2 of the other cases, Figure 3. Incremen- More information frastructure. RPS Energy advises govern- tal recoveries over extended waterflooding A detailed version of this article is ments and a wide variety of energy sector after 20 years are about 7% STOIIP for the available at: clients on issues such as establishing safe ‘Crestal’ case and 13% for the ‘Flank’, see www.og–mrp.com/dissemination and secure sources of energy. RPS Ener- Figure 4. /co2/resmod/HighRateContinuo gy also provides specialist technical ad- Discounted economic analysis was per- us.pdf vice on carbon emissions reduction and formed for continuous CO2 injection com- Or visit: www.rpsgroup.com carbon capture and storage. paring each of the four cases studied using

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10 carbon capture journal - July - August 2009 CCJ10:Layout 1 14/07/2009 10:51 Page 11

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Projects and Policy UK releases clean coal consultation and proposes funding bill The UK has set out its intention to be at the forefront of CCS development in “A Framework for the development of clean coal: consultation document.” A new Energy Bill has also been proposed for the forthcoming session of Parliament.

The proposals under consultation in- first generation of CCS plants in the UK.” Shadow Energy and Climate Change clude: “However, this should be a swift, sharp Secretary, Greg Clark says: • Providing financial support for up to and focussed consultation aimed at develop- “I welcome the fact that the Govern- four commercial-scale CCS demonstrations ing a robust funding framework for CCS and ment has now recognised the scale of the in Britain, including the CCS demonstration enabling the infrastructure needed to trans- challenge of meeting our urgent energy se- competition that we launched in 2007, cov- port CO2 for storage.” curity needs and reducing our CO2 emis- ering a range of CCS technologies; “We cannot afford to drop the ball at sions by using Conservative policy as the ba- • Requiring any new coal power station this point. We are close to getting an appro- sis for their CCS plans.” in England and Wales to demonstrate CCS priate framework to develop CCS at a com- “However, the Government has missed on a defined part of its capacity; mercial scale.” a golden opportunity to set an Emissions • Requiring new coal power stations to “Industry stands ready to deliver on Performance Standard that would set a legal retrofit CCS to their full capacity within five CCS and as 2009 is a critical year in terms limit on the release of greenhouse gases from years of CCS being independently judged of tackling climate change and building new power stations.” technically and economically proven. We green jobs, the Government needs to move “This announcement should have will plan on the basis that CCS will be quickly to ensure CCS can fulfil its climate closed the door on unabated coal, but the proven by 2020; change potential as well as delivering pros- Government has left the door ajar” • Preparing for the possibility that CCS perity and employment.” Sam Gomersall of CO2DeepStore will not become proven as early as expected Stephen Hale, director of Green Al- comments: liance, says: “DECC’s new framework for the devel- The document sets out several options “This is the litmus test for Labour’s opment of clean coal offers some CCS for funding the first generation of CCS commitment on climate change. Britain's progress but fails to get to grips with some plants in the UK including an obligation on coal policy is still on a knife edge. Ed of the key challenges for introducing CCS suppliers to buy a proportion of CCS elec- Miliband has sketched out a tantalising pic- into the UK. The proposed 2% tariff on elec- tricity, a levy on electricity suppliers, a feed- ture of a dramatic new coal policy.” tricity bills will not provide any incentive to in tariff and funding through the EU Emis- “By October, he must deliver a defini- deliver CCS beyond the initial four demon- sions Trading Scheme. tive policy that secures the multi-billion stration projects. The government needs to The Government is also consulting on pound investment we need for carbon cap- plan for sustained development of the mar- the development of pipeline infrastructure to ture and storage technology. This must com- ket if it is to achieve its aim of all UK coal transport CO2 into the North Sea, through a bine a clear regulatory framework with fi- plants being CCS compliant by 2025.” regional cluster approach. Clusters will be nancial support to bring CCS to market.” “While the current focus of government concentrated in the Firth of Forth, Thames Lord Chris Smith, Chairman of the policy is to develop and trial carbon capture Gateway, Teesside, Merseyside and the Environment Agency says: facilities, a matching emphasis is also re- Humber areas. “This is a big step forward for UK cli- quired on the development of offshore CO2 The consultation opened on 17th June, mate policy. The Government’s decision not storage facilities,” he says. and will run for a period of 12 weeks until to build any new coal power stations with- “The government has still not taken the 9th September 2009. out carbon capture technology offers real necessary steps to ensure that a market de- The proposed Energy Bill was an- hope of a new era of ‘clean coal’. It is an es- velops in CO2 storage provision – currently nounced in 'Building Britain's Future', pub- sential element of any sensible energy poli- one of the key gaps in the CCS infrastruc- lished by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, cy for the next 20 years and is vital in our ture. It is clear that the established oil and which outlines the UK Government’s priori- fight against climate change.” gas companies are not interested in this field. ties and its draft legislative programme. “The proposal for up to four large scale Overall we still detect a serious mismatch The shift to low carbon at home and demonstration projects in the UK will help between stated ministerial ambitions and the abroad, and capitalising on the opportunities ensure the technology is robust and we wel- plans actually being put forward.” presented by new green industries, is an im- come the proposed role for the Environment portant part of building Britain’s future. Agency in assessing when the technology is More information proven and should be retrofitted.” The full consultation report is available Responses “The Environment Agency recognise at: www.decc.gov.uk Urging the Government to maintain momen- that there are still some significant issues to www.hmg.gov.uk/buildingbrita tum in developing CCS, Jeff Chapman, address including contingency plans should insfuture Chief Executive of the Carbon Capture & it take longer than anticipated to prove the www.green-alliance.org.uk Storage Association comments: technology. We will be working with the De- www.environment-agency.gov.uk “The publication of this consultation is partment for Energy and Climate Change to www.co2deepstore.com a welcome step on the road to developing the ensure such obstacles are overcome.”

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Projects and Policy Policy, company and regulation news DOE invests $408 Million in two coal CCS projects www.fossil.energy.gov Projects by Basin Electric Power ( Cooperative and Hydrogen Energy ' International LLC have been selected for up to $408 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment * Act. The selection of the two projects is part of the third round of the Clean Coal Power Initiative (CCPI). The Department of Ener- ) gy will provide up to $408 million in federal funds - $100 million to Basin Electric Pow- er Cooperative and $308 million to Hydro- gen Energy International LLC - to support A;O the innovative demonstrations. ' <[[ZijeYa The CCPI is a cost-shared collaboration ( =Wi_Ó[h ) Fem[h][d[hWj_edkd_j between the federal government and private *9E(\ehijehW][ industry to increase investment in low-emis- sion coal technology by demonstrating ad- Hydrogen Energy International’s IGCC with carbon capture project in Kern County, California vanced coal-based, power generation tech- has received $308M in funding from the DOE nologies. The goal of CCPI is to accelerate the readiness of advanced coal technologies the flue gas of a lignite-based boiler by the single most important component re- for commercial deployment, ensuring that adding CO2 capture and sequestration (CCS) quired for successful development of ad- the United States has clean, reliable, and af- to Basin Electric's existing Antelope Valley vanced coal-fired power systems," said Dr. fordable electricity and power. Station, located near Beulah, N.D. Pow- Victor K. Der, Acting Assistant Secretary for The selected proposals will employ dif- erspan's ECO2® ammonia-based technolo- Fossil Energy. "The creation of a national re- ferent technological concepts to achieve a gy will be used to capture CO2 on a 120- search center focused on carbon capture goal of at least 90 percent CO2 capture effi- megawatt electric-equivalent gas stream from fossil-fueled power plants bolsters U.S. ciency. Descriptions of the selected propos- from the 450 megawatt Antelope Valley Sta- efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions als include: tion Unit 1. The net result will be 90 percent while taking advantage of America’s vast • Hydrogen Energy International LLC removal of CO2 from the treated flue gas, coal resources." ($308 million) yielding 3,000 short tons per day (1,000,000 The PSDF was established by DOE Kern County, California tons per year) of pipeline-quality CO2. The with cooperation from Southern Company, Hydrogen Energy California Project: ammonia based SO2 scrubbing system will and has established a consistent record of Commercial Demonstration of Advanced also produce a liquid stream of ammonium testing, development and scale-up of numer- IGCC with Full Carbon Capture - Hydrogen sulfate that will be processed into a fertilizer ous advanced coal-based power generation Energy International LLC, a joint venture by-product. technologies, many of which are now enter- owned by BP Alternative Energy and Rio ing commercial deployment. Tinto, will design, construct, and operate an DOE creates National Carbon Capture With an existing coal gasifier and com- integrated gasification combined cycle pow- Center bustor already in place, the facility offers an er plant that will take blends of coal and pe- The NCCC will develop and test technolo- opportunity for conducting large-scale re- troleum coke, combined with non-potable gies to capture CO2 from coal-based pow- search and development for CO2 capture water, and convert them into hydrogen and er plants. technologies from coal-based power genera- CO2. The CO2 will be separated from the Southern Company will establish and tion. hydrogen using the -based Rectisol manage the NCCC at the Power Systems De- Processes that have been studied at lab- process. The hydrogen gas will be used to velopment Facility (PSDF) in Wilsonville, oratory or bench-scale under ideal conditions fuel a power station, and the CO2 will be Alabama. can be quickly deployed to the NCCC for transported by pipeline to nearby oil reser- The NCCC will meet a critical need of testing and evaluation under conditions that voirs where it will be injected for storage and the Energy Department, said the DOE, by would be expected at a commercial coal- used for enhanced oil recovery. The project, serving as a test center for emerging carbon based power plant. which will be located in Kern County, Cali- capture technologies. It will enable testing The center will also work with technol- fornia, will capture more than 2,000,000 tons and analysis at a scale large enough to pro- ogy developers around the world to develop per year of CO2. vide meaningful data under real operating innovations needed to create high-perform- • Basin Electric Power Cooperative conditions. ing CO2 capture technologies that can be ($100 million) The NCCC is expected to create or sus- cost-effectively deployed by power genera- Post Combustion CO2 Capture Project tain nearly 170 jobs that will last the dura- tors. - Basin Electric Power Cooperative will part- tion of the 5-year project. A major benefit of the NCCC will be ner with Powerspan and Burns & McDon- "The management of CO2 from coal- its flexibility. The facility will offer multiple nell to demonstrate the removal of CO2 from fired processes is considered by many to be slip-stream capabilities for testing candidate

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Projects and Policy

processes, with the ability to investigate dif- ferent ranks of coal, biomass, and other fu- els. In addition, multiple projects can be test- ed in parallel with a wide range of testing equipment. Long-term testing will also be available to establish the durability and reli- ability of new technologies. Technology development at the NCCC will include both pre- and post-combustion CO2 capture. The pre-combustion CO2 cap- ture component will be located at the PSDF, and the post-combustion component will be developed at Plant Gaston, an Alabama Pow- er coal-fueled generating plant adjacent to the PSDF. In addition to DOE and Southern Com- pany, current participants in the NCCC proj- ect include American Electric Power, Lumi- nant, the Electric Power Research Institute, Arch Coal, Peabody Energy, and RioTinto. The center anticipates adding more partners Alabama Power's Plant Barry will be used by Southern Company to demonstrate CCS on a coal- as its work progresses. fired power plant with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ proprietary process Southern Company & MHI to Demonstrate CCS Technology "Our involvement in this and other related units - five coal-fired units and two natural www.southerncompany.com projects is part of our commitment to be a gas-fired combined-cycle units. Southern Company has announced plans leader in finding solutions that make techno- to demonstrate CCS on a coal-fired pow- logical, economic and environmental sense." FutureGen agreement reached er plant near Mobile, Alabama. The CO2 capture technology to be used www.fossil.energy.gov Along with the U.S. Department of En- in this project, called KM-CDR™, was joint- U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu has ergy (DOE), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries ly developed by MHI and the Kansai Elec- announced an agreement with the Future- Ltd. (MHI), the Electric Power Research In- tric Power Company Inc. It deploys an ad- Gen Alliance that paves the way for the stitute and other partners, Southern Compa- vanced amine-based solvent that reacts read- project to restart. ny will build a demonstration facility to cap- ily with CO2 in flue gas before being sepa- Under the terms of the provisional ture carbon dioxide emissions from an exist- rated and compressed so that it is ready for agreement between the Department of Ener- ing unit of subsidiary Alabama Power's Plant pipeline transport. gy and the FutureGen Alliance, the Depart- Barry. According to MHI, the process offers ment will issue a Record of Decision on the Beginning in 2011, between 100,000 improved performance and lower cost than project by the middle of July, with the fol- and 150,000 tons of CO2 per year - the other existing capture technologies. It has lowing activities to be pursued from the end equivalent of emissions from 25 megawatts been demonstrated at smaller scale at a coal- of July 2009 through early 2010: of the plant's generating capacity - would be fired generating station in Japan, and is cur- • Rapid restart of preliminary design captured for permanent underground storage rently being deployed commercially on nat- activities. in a deep saline geologic formation. ural gas-fired systems around the world. This • Completion of a site-specific prelimi- The CO2 will be supplied to the DOE's project represents the largest coal-fired nary design and updated cost estimate. Southeast Regional demonstration of the technology. • Expansion of the Alliance sponsorship Partnership (SECARB), which will transport "We are excited to be a partner in this group. it by pipeline from the plant and store it un- important project that will help further the • Development of a complete funding derground at a site within the area of the Cit- global goal of reducing carbon dioxide emis- plan. ronelle Oil Field, about 10 miles from the sions for the benefit of everyone," said Shu- • Potential additional subsurface char- plant, operated by Denbury Resources. The nichi Miyanaga, executive vice president acterization. Southern States Energy Board is leading the and representative director general manager Following the completion of the de- SECARB effort. of MHI's Machinery & Steel Structures tailed cost estimate and fundraising activi- "This project will help increase our Headquarters. ties, the Department of Energy and the Fu- knowledge of carbon capture and sequestra- "The confidence our partners have tureGen Alliance will make a decision either tion, technology we must demonstrate at a shown in the MHI CO2 capture technology to move forward or to discontinue the proj- commercial level in the effort to reliably is a testament to the research and develop- ect early in 2010. generate electricity using coal with reduced ment efforts we have undertaken during the Both parties agree that a decision to greenhouse gas emissions past 20 years. Together with our partners, we move forward is the preferred outcome and "The main challenge facing deploy- are ready to deploy and demonstrate to the plan to reach a revised cooperative agree- ment of carbon capture and sequestration world the safety and viability of commercial- ment that will include a funding plan for the technology is demonstrating its effectiveness scale CCS." full project. Funding will be phased and con- at a large scale," said David Ratcliffe, South- Plant Barry has a total capacity of 2,525 ditioned based on completion of NEPA re- ern Company chairman, president and CEO. megawatts and includes seven generating view.

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Leon Stone Emily Pryor T: +44 1992 656 671 Conference Manager F: +44 1992 656 700 T: +44 1992 656 614 E: [email protected] F: +44 1992 656 735 E: [email protected] CCJ10:Layout 1 14/07/2009 10:51 Page 16

Projects and Policy

The Department of Energy's total antic- emission free coal generation. School of Geosciences, part of an alliance ipated financial contribution for the project At the same time, ScottishPower’s par- between the University of Edinburgh, Heriot is $1.073 billion, $1 billion of which comes ent company Iberdrola confirmed that it will Watt University and the British Geological from Recovery Act funds for CCS research. establish a global Centre of Excellence to de- Survey, known as the Scottish Centre for The FutureGen Alliance's total anticipated velop CCS technology in the UK. To launch Carbon Storage. The Professor will be an ex- financial contribution is $400 million to this, the company announced today that it pert leader of CCS development in the UK $600 million, based on a goal of 20 member will be funding a Chair in Carbon Capture and globally. companies each contributing a total of $20 and Storage at the University of Edinburgh ScottishPower has selected the Univer- million to $30 million over a four to six year to provide a academic focus for the Centre sity of Edinburgh to host its CCS Chair as a period. of Excellence. result of the strong ties developed over the The Alliance, with support from DOE, "We believe that the UK can lead the past 3 years working on collaborative CCS will pursue options to raise additional non- world with CCS technology, creating new research and development projects. Under federal funds needed to build and operate the skills, jobs and opportunities for growth," the umbrella of the Scottish Centre for Car- facility, including options for capturing the said bon Storage, the University of Edinburgh led value of the facility that will remain after Iberdrola and ScottishPower Chairman the work of the Scottish Regional Study that conclusion of the research project, potential- Ignacio Galán. "There is the potential to cre- recently published an in-depth report high- ly through an auction of the residual inter- ate an industry on the same scale as North lighting the Central North Sea’s potential to ests in late autumn. Sea Oil, and we will invest in Scotland and store all of Europe’s CO2 emissions well in- the UK to help realise this potential. Iberdro- to the next century. Norway pledges EUR 140 million for la will set-up its global Centre of Excellence ScottishPower will also engage with CCS for CCS in the UK to help accelerate the de- other academic institutions to which they www.regjeringen.no ployment of full-scale CCS." have ties, including Imperial College Lon- Norway will earmark EUR 140 million "This prototype carbon capture unit is don. over five years for CCS projects in select- a major step on the road towards our Centre ed EU member states. of Excellence and the essential data from the Indiana University publishes CCS brief The money is part of the already allo- unit will shape our research. We are proud www.iu.edu cated Norwegian contribution to the EU, but to be working with the University of Edin- CCS is a promising tool that may help the will now be earmarked specifically for de- burgh, and this partnership will be pivotal in United States meet future energy needs veloping CCS technology. developing our Centre of Excellence." while controlling emissions of greenhouse The announcement was made by Prime The prototype unit, which weighs 30 gases linked to climate change, Indiana Minister Stoltenberg today at the Govern- tonnes and covers an area of 85m2, will be University researchers say in a new policy ment’s high-level conference Fighting Cli- able to process 1000 cubic metres of exhaust brief. mate Change with Carbon Capture and Stor- gas per hour from Longannet. Amongst oth- But CCS presents policy and technical age in Bergen. er tests being carried out, ScottishPower sci- challenges that must be addressed if the na- “The EU is a driving force in the devel- entists will be monitoring the effectiveness tion is to make effective use of its plentiful opment and implementation of CCS tech- of the chemical amine solution that captures supplies of coal, researchers say in the May nologies. As part of our total contribution the CO2 under different conditions. The da- 2009 issue of SPEA Insights. during the next period of the EEA Financial ta will allow ScottishPower to better under- Authors of the brief are A. James Mechanisms, Norway wants to earmark at stand the science before a full-scale demon- Barnes, professor and former dean of the least EUR 140 million over five years to sup- stration project is built, eventually capturing School of Public and Environmental Affairs port CCS projects in selected EU member up to 90% of CO2 from Longannet. at IU Bloomington, and Kenneth R. states,” said Prime Minster Jens Stoltenberg. "The test unit uses the exact same tech- Richards, associate professor in the school. “A new international climate regime nology that we aim to retrofit to the station "Policy analysts, social scientists and should promote technology transfer and co- for a commercial scale CCS project by 2014, lawyers must work with scientists, engineers operation. CCS is essential for reducing and the leap from 1MW to 330MW is now and technologists to design public policies global greenhouse gas emissions,” the Prime within sight," said Nick Horler, Chief Exec- that will encourage the demonstration of Minister added. utive of ScottishPower. "There are over CCS systems that are safe, effective and af- 50,000 fossil fuel power stations in opera- fordable," Barnes and Richards write. ScottishPower begins CO2 capture test tion throughout the world, and by proving To help guide the implementation of www.scottishpower.com that CCS technology can be retrofitted to ex- CCS, they recommend: ScottishPower has begun operations on a isting stations, we can begin to address the • CCS should be deployed only if it is test project to capture CO2 emissions carbon lock-in from these power plants." a cost-effective solution for reducing green- from Longannet power station – the first "The switch-on today, coupled with the house gas emissions -- or as a "backstop" to time in the UK that they have been cap- recent Scottish Regional Study highlighting less expensive measures. tured from a working coal-fired power the Central North Sea’s potential to store all • Congress must be careful in design- plant. of Europe’s CO2 emissions well into the ing incentives for CCS, making sure it does- The prototype, developed by Aker next century, means that a major new indus- n't create measures that lead companies to Clean Carbon, is an exact, small-scale repli- try is now on the brink of being formed in overproduce electricity. ca of a full-scale carbon capture plant. It will the UK." • States need to be involved in devel- allow ScottishPower to test the complex oping CCS regulations, particularly with re- chemistry involved in capturing CO2 from CCS Chair at Edinburgh University gard to property rights, safety and liability. power station flue gases and is a major mile- The CCS Chair will be located in the Car- • Policy makers must be sensitive to the stone in delivering the reality of carbon bon Capture and Storage Group within the complex politics of CCS, including the com-

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peting interests of geographic regions and ect, the funding mechanism for fitting CCS The Commission invites EU Member business sectors. and the framework for associated CCS infra- States, interested EEA States and China to While CCS may not currently be cost- structure. The company is also calling for pledge financial and political support for this effective, the authors say, it may make sense more detail on how the Government intends initiative. It also invites the European Par- to support development of the technology to to create a level playing field between new, liament to provide its political support. learn about its costs, challenges and poten- cleaner coal and existing unabated coal and tial improvements. But projects underwrit- gas in the UK. Mitsubishi to participate in Australia ten by the government should include rigor- E.ON believes that the best way for- ZeroGen project ous and open evaluation systems, with data ward for the development of CCS would be www.mhi.co.jp made available to all interested stakeholders. to develop ‘clusters' of developments by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and In the area of political complexity, linking a number of fossil-fired power sta- Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) will provide Barnes and Richards note that initial efforts tions and other industrial sites to a single car- a feasibility study for the ZeroGen IGCC to develop CCS are taking place in the in- bon transportation system. To this end, the project in Queensland, Australia. dustrial Midwest, rather than in regions company has identified a Thames Cluster in The project will be the world's first where coal is controversial. They say that the the south east of England, the highest ener- commercial-scale IGCC power plant with stance taken toward CCS by environmental gy using region of the UK, to be an ideal lo- CCS capability, producing 530 megawatts of groups is likely to be critical to the future of cation. electricity starting operation in 2015. the technology. MHI is serving as the exclusive manu- EU to raise funding for China CCS facturer, supplier and builder of the IGCC £675,000 for UCL Carbon Capture Legal project facility, including CO2 recovery and storage Programme ec.europa.eu/environment/clim systems. MC will coordinate the overall www.ucl.ac.uk/cclp at/future_action.htm project. UCL's Carbon Capture Legal Pro- The European Commission has set out ZeroGen, which is wholly owned by gramme has received a £675,000 donation plans to co-finance the EU-China Near the Queensland State Government, will be from The Crown Estate, Rio Tinto, RPS Zero Emissions Coal Plant project the project implementation body, responsi- Group, Schlumberger Carbon Services through a public-private partnership. ble for the selection of potential sites in and Shell. In 2005 the EU agreed to cooperate Queensland both for the IGCC plant and for UCL launched the programme, which with China on a range of climate change is- a carbon transport and storage area, and will sits within the Faculty of Laws, in 2007 to sues, including CCS, in the context of the also handle other crucial areas such as infra- bring together information on the different EU-China Climate Change Partnership. structure, coal supply, stakeholder engage- elements of law surrounding the fast evolv- It has now set out the Commission's ment and environmental studies. ing field of CCS in a fully open access on- plans for establishing an investment scheme line resource - the first of its kind. to co-finance the design and construction of CMS Cameron McKenna launches EU The CCLP is also the sole academic a power plant to demonstrate CCS technolo- 2020 climate package guides partner in the International Energy Agency's gy in China. www.law-now.com (IEA) International Regulators Network, The Commission has programmed Following the EU’s final approval of a set which provides a forum through which reg- funding of up to €50 million for the con- of directives aimed at helping the EU ulators can discuss on a regular basis a range struction and operation phase of the project, reach its climate change targets for 2020, of challenges faced by policy makers and out of a total of €60 million that has been CMS Cameron McKenna has launched a regulators in the construction of regulatory earmarked for cooperation with emerging series of Q&A brochures aimed at helping solutions. economies on cleaner coal technologies and those who wish to understand the key ele- Through the CCLP, UCL is also a CCS. ments of this new legislative package and founding member of the Global Carbon Cap- Depending on the choice of technology the potential key impacts on businesses. ture and Storage Institute (GCCSI), a global used, and assuming China introduces some The series will initially consist of 3 institute launched by the Australian govern- form of carbon pricing instrument, the addi- brochures looking at the following 3 direc- ment last month to facilitate CCS sequestra- tional cost of constructing and operating tives: tion demonstration projects and their subse- over 25 years a new power plant equipped • the new EU Emission Trading quent deployment around the world. UCL is with CCS in China has been estimated at Scheme (EU ETS) Directive, which intro- the only academic institution to hold found- €300-€550 million. duces various changes to the design of the ing member status. The Commission will work closely EU ETS ahead of Phase 3 of the Scheme with China, Member States, other European (due to start in 2013) aimed at helping the E.ON selects MHI and Foster Wheeler Economic Area (EEA) countries and indus- EU reduce its emissions of greenhouse gas- for UK demonstration try to secure the additional financing re- es by 20% below 1990 levels by 2020 www.eon-uk.com quired. The Commission proposes to com- • the new Renewable Energy Directive, Following a major review of available bine these funding sources in a public-pri- which aims to increase the EU’s consump- technology, E.ON has selected MHI and vate partnership, possibly in the form of a a tion of energy from renewable sources to Foster Wheeler Energy Limited as the Special Purpose Vehicle. 20% of the EU’s total gross consumption by project team to lead on the development This investment scheme could serve as 2020 and engineering for CCS at the proposed a model for other technology cooperation ac- • the new Carbon Capture and Storage Kingsnorth plant in Kent, UK. tivities between developed countries and Directive, which introduces a new regulato- During the consultation process, E.ON emerging/developing countries in the con- ry framework for the onshore and offshore says it will seek further clarity on issues such text of a post-2012 climate change agree- storage of carbon dioxide. as the conditions of a new-build coal proj- ment.

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Separation and Capture Cryogenic carbon capture technology

Sustainable Energy Solutions has commercialized an innovative CO2 capture technology called the cryogenic CO2 capture (CCC) process, developed by Dr. Larry Baxter at Brigham Young University. It is designed to separate a nearly pure stream of CO2 from power plant gases and according to SES has significant energy and cost advantages compared to alternatives.

The process is a post-combustion technolo- uid solution gy that cools CO2-laden flue gas to desubli- that must be mation temperatures (-100 to -135 °C), sep- distilled. arates solid CO2 that forms from the flue gas This from the light gases, uses the cold products process shares to cool incoming gases in a recuperative heat some similar exchanger, compresses the solid/liquid CO2 unit operations to final pressures (100-200 atm), and deliv- with oxygen- ers a compressed CO2 stream separated from fired combus- an atmospheric pressure light-gas stream. tion followed The overall energy and economic costs by CO2 com- appear to be at least 30% lower than most pression, often competing processes that involve air separa- called oxyfiring  tion units (ASUs), solvents, or similar tech- and a compet- nologies. In addition, the CCC process en- ing CO2 sepa- Figure 1- Simple schematic diagram of the cryogenic carbon capture process joys several ancillary benefits, including (a) ration process. it is a minimally invasive bolt-on technolo- A comparison of the two illustrates the -328 °F (-200 °C), leading to higher losses gy, (b) it provides highly efficient removal cost and energy efficiency advantages of in the cooling cycles, requiring more energy of most pollutants (Hg, SOx, NO2, HCl, CCC (Figure 2). A typical oxyfiring process for cooling, and constraining quite severely etc.), (c) possible energy storage capacity, (1) separates oxygen from nitrogen in an air suitable materials of construction. and (d) potential water savings. separation unit (ASU) that includes com- More significantly still, the CCC This article outlines the process details pressors, expanders, heat exchangers and process compresses a solid/liquid CO2 and economic and energy comparisons rela- distillation columns; (2) fires the combus- stream whereas the oxyfiring process com- tive to other well-documented alternatives. tion process with nearly pure oxygen, pro- presses a gaseous CO2 stream, both from ducing a gaseous CO2 and H2O product nominally atmospheric pressure to about 100 Process Description (plus impurities); (3) recirculates a fraction atm. Solids and liquid compression requires The cryogenic CO2 capture (CCC) process of the CO2 to manage the temperatures and a very small fraction of the energy required (Figure 1) dries and cools flue gas from ex- heat loads in the boiler; (4) condenses the for gaseous compression. Finally and most isting systems, modestly compresses it, cools water in the exit gas to produce a nearly pure significantly, the CCC separates solid CO2 it to a temperature slightly above the point CO2 product; and (5) compresses the result- from nitrogen, a far less capital and energy where CO2 forms a solid, expands the gas to ing CO2 stream to nominally 100 bar. intensive task than separating oxygen from further cool it, precipitating an amount of The steps that consume the greatest en- nitrogen. The distillation stages in an air sep- CO2 as a solid that depends on the final tem- ergy appear in the top of Figure 2. By com- aration unit and the associated gas compres- perature, pressurizes the CO2, and reheats parison, the CCC process deals with a slight- sion and cooling represent the most energy the CO2 and the remaining flue gas by cool- ly lower volumetric flow rate of gases leav- intensive portion of an ASU. ing the incoming gases. ing the combustor on a dry basis compared As indicated later, the oxyfiring process The final result is the CO2 in a liquid to the dry volumetric flow rate of air enter- has about the same energy and cost perform- phase and a gaseous nitrogen stream. CO2 ing the combustor with which the oxyfiring ance as the alternative (mostly solvent- capture efficiency depends primarily on the system deals. pressure and temperature at the end of the More signifi- expansion process. At 1 atm, the process cantly, the low- captures 99% of the CO2 at -211 °F (-135 est tempera- °C) and 90% at -184 °F (-120 °C). These are tures in the relatively mild conditions as compared to CCC process competing processes, as is discussed next. range from -211 Most alternative processes are not reason- °F (-135 °C) to ably capable of achieving 99% CO2 capture. -184 °F (-120 Furthermore, the captured CO2 has vir- °C), depending tually no impurity in it. A thermodynamic on desired cap- feature of CO2 in flue gases (< 15% CO2 on ture efficiency. a dry basis) is that the CO2 will not form a By comparison,  liquid phase at any temperature or pressure. the lowest tem- Rather, the CO2 desublimates, forming an peratures in the Figure 2 - Comparison of the energy demand in an air-separation-based unit essentially pure solid phase rather than a liq- ASU are about and in the cryogenic carbon capture process

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Tuesday, September 22 – Thursday, September 24, 2009 Washington, DC

Carbon Capture and Storage World Summit 2009 To discuss a sponsorship or exhibit package tailored to meet your business objectives, please contact Brian The current political and economic atmosphere is placing alternative Santos at: [email protected] or energies at the forefront of most political platforms. With the EU +1 207 781-9618. proposing to allocate close to €3.5 billion towards carbon capture Delegate inquiries, please contact Valerie King at: and storage and the new US administration’s focus on moving [email protected] or +1 207 781 9610. towards cleaner energies, carbon capture and storage technology is Marketing and press inquiries, please contact even more prominent in today’s climate discussions. IntertechPira’s Joan Woodbrey at: [email protected] 2009 Carbon Capture and Storage World Summit will provide or +1 207 781 9636. the latest in policy and funding information, as well as technology Special discounted rates apply! and industry updates. By bringing together key speakers from several industries, providing ample networking opportunities, and interactive Academic rate available for full time teaching staff and students at academic establishments. panels, this conference will prove to be the event to attend for a comprehensive look at carbon capture and storage. Government rate and team discounts are also available. In association with:

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Separation and Capture

based) processes. The solvent-based systems plant exceed all other costs. If permitting Energy Storage differ in more significant ways from the costs and construction costs and delays are Depending on the temperature and pressure CCC process and the systems do lend them- also incurred, the new/modified plant be- of operation, the processes can produce a selves to step-by-step comparisons. comes by far the largest cost element in the pressurized gaseous stream useful for ener- However, the CCC process also handi- project. A retrofit technology such as CCC gy storage. The CCC process is most energy ly outperforms the solvent-based systems, mitigates most of the problems and substan- efficient when the exiting light-gas stream is primarily because the solvent-based systems tially reduces cost. at atmospheric pressure. require a large mass of solvent to be cycli- However, if the end-point pressure is cally heated and cooled (or in some cases Pollutant Control above atmospheric, the gases do not need to pressurized and depressurized) to produce a There are several compelling benefits to a be cooled as far for a given capture efficien- comparatively small amount of CO2. fully integrated installation. The cooled, cy or the capture efficiency increases at a The energy invested in the cyclical compressed gases make it possible to extract given temperature, improving the process heating and cooling represents a major en- SO2, NO2, HCl, and Hg (among other performance. These performance increases tropy source and hence energy sink in the things) in condensed-phase forms with effi- couple with the energy storage potential of process. Such cyclical and energy-intensive ciencies that exceed current best available the compressed gas to provide a solution, or steps that involve the same materials gener- control technologies. at least a partial solution, to what the authors ally represent the largest energy sinks in all NO does not condense as readily as the believe one of the largest issues in CO2 cap- of these processes. The analog in oxyfiring previous gases and will need alternative ture and storage – the impact on peak load is the reflux in the distillation columns. treatment, but pressure and temperature generating capacity. By comparison, there are no materials regimes of this process offer alternative The compressed gas could be released in the CCC process that cyclically change means of removing NO that may reduce through a turbine or, better still, heated to temperature, pressure or phase. The flue gas costs as well. Therefore, a green-field, fully higher temperatures and released through a heating and cooling always involves new integrated plant can redirect the capital, op- turbine at peak load times to compensate for flue gas. In this sense, aside from losses in erating cost, and footprint resources current- the capacity losses associated with carbon compression, expansion, and heat exchange, ly dedicated to SOx, NOx, and Hg control capture. The process would need to store this process consumes no energy other than and redirect these toward the carbon capture enough compressed gas to last through the that required for the phase change and sepa- system. peaking period and would recompress gas at ration. That is, the CCC process has no em- off-load times. bedded cycles that primarily produce ener- Reduced Water Use gy. The substantial energy savings of this Performance Comparisons process directly lead to significant cooling Figure 3 illustrates estimated levelized costs Ancillary Advantages water decreases relative to other carbon cap- for electricity for the proposed process (Bx1) In addition to the cost and energy efficiency ture processes. Additionally, a fully integrat- and several alternatives, including the fuel, advantages, the CCC process enjoys several ed installation can heat the pressurized, ni- fixed operating and maintenance (FOM), ancillary benefits, including leveraging of trogen-rich stream with the boiler to drive a variable operating and maintenance (VOM), existing capital investments, pollutant con- light-gas turbine cycle which requires no capital (Cap), and transportation, storage and trol, water savings, and potential energy stor- cooling water. monitoring (TS&M) costs associated with age. Each of these are discussed below, fol- A pressurized nitrogen stream heated to CO2 management. lowed by some quantitative estimates of the the same temperature as typical steam tur- Systems include supercritical pc com- costs of the CCC process. bine inlet temperatures (nominally 600 °C) bustion (SC), ultra-supercritical pc combus- generates pow- Retrofit Technology er with approx- This CCC process can be installed either as imately three a bolt-on retrofit technology or as an inte- times the effi- grated technology. The bolt-on option makes ciency as steam this technology highly attractive for existing under similar assets and for permitting new assets. In this conditions if configuration, essentially no changes to the the gas need not existing facility are required. The flue gas is be recom- intercepted prior to the stack and flows pressed. On a through this process without modification of once-through upstream systems. The only major require- basis, the steam ment is that enough footprint is available for is far more effi- the new equipment (compressors and tur- cient than bines). steam/water Retrofitting existing plants leverages and avoids the Figure 3 - Comparative levelized cost of electricity for the proposed process existing capital investments, improving proj- cooling water (BX1) and several alteratives, including the fuel, fixed operating and ect economics markedly. The economics of load associated maintenance (FOM), variable operating and maintenance (VOM), capital carbon capture processes that require new with water. This (Cap), and transportation, storage and monitoring (TS&M) costs associated plant construction or significant alteration of further reduces with CO2 management. Systems include supercritical pc combustion (SC), ultra-supercritical pc combustion (USC), integrated gasification combined existing plants often are dominated by the water demand cycle (IGCC), and CO2 capture technologies based on amine scrubbing levelized plant capital costs, that is, the lev- by between 25- (Amine), air separation units (ASU) , and ion-transport membranes. Non-Bx1 elized capital expenses for the new/modified 30%. data come from DOE reports (Ciferno 2007; Klara 2007; Klara 2007)

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Separation and Capture

tion (USC), integrated gasification combined The cost and the energy cycle (IGCC), and CO2 capture technologies comparisons discussed here use based on amine scrubbing (Amine), air sepa- advanced process and cost ration units (ASU) , and ion-transport mem- modeling techniques, including branes (ITM). Aside from Bx1, the costs vendor-vetted costing in many come from US Department of Energy NETL- cases, sophisticated and vali- based analyses (Ciferno 2007; Klara 2007; dated non-ideal thermodynam- Klara 2007), with methods and assumptions ic modeling, and detailed as similar as possible between the NETL- analyses. based systems and the Bx1 system. Nevertheless, they are on- However, the extensive documentation ly accurate to within about 30% of the NETL-based systems does not include for all of the results. Even with many critical parameters, including such ba- this uncertainty the cost and en- sic things as turbine and compressor efficien- ergy advantages of the CCC Figure 4 - Estimated cost per avoided ton of CO2 for a variety cies and costs associated with SOx and NOx process seem clear. We contin- of processes and perturbations of these processes compared control. NETL personnel indicate their com- ue to improve the models and with the Bx1 process. Non-Bx1 data come from DOE reports mercial partners who helped develop the re- develop laboratory demonstra- (Ciferno 2007; Klara 2007; Klara 2007) port asked that these numbers not be pub- tions and validations of the lished and that the process simulations not be process and believe that the shared publicly. CCC process will prove consid- The estimated cost of reducing CO2 erably more attractive than the emissions is substantially less in the Bx1 alternatives, as indicated here. process than the other processes, as summa- rized in Figure 4. These data indicate a clear Conclusions economic advantage for this process, which Cryogenic CO2 capture (CCC) when coupled with the other advantages sug- represents an innovative, new, gests it would be the process of choice among and near-term alternative to those reviewed here. most well-discussed processes Energy costs for CO2 capture depend in terms of cost, energy de- on both the purity of the resulting gas and the mand, and equipment/process capture efficiency. This process produces an compatibility at a power plant. essentially pure CO2 product (thermodynam- CCC minimize the economic Figure 5 - Specific energy required for CO2 capture (GJ/ton ically, 100% pure), which is another advan- and energy demands of climate captured CO2) as a function of capture efficiency. The final tage of this process compared to competitive change management from sta- point is greater than 99.99% capture processes. tionary CO2 sources compared The energy required per ton of CO2 cap- to well-documented alternatives. (3) it can incorporate energy storage that syn- tured from this processes appears in Figure 5 Ancillary advantages include (1) it is a ergistically interacts with the CO2 capture as a function of capture efficiency. The final bolt-on/retrofit technology that can leverage process to improve the economic and energy point is greater than 99.99% capture. The existing power plants; (2) it is a multi-pollu- performance of both; and (4) it can reduce dominant energy consumption is for flue gas tant technology that may reduce or eliminate water demand. CCC represents a leading al- compression. The two lines represent results the need for several current and near-term pol- ternative method of carbon capture for these from simulations with the best advertised lutant controls devices (SO2, Hg, HCl, etc.); and additional reasons. polytropic compressor efficiencies (87%) and for very modest compression efficiencies (72%). Six-stage compressors with interstage References Fossil Energy Plants Volume 1: Bituminous cooling were assumed in both cases and at all Ciferno, J. P. (2007). Pulverized Coal Oxy- Coal and Natural Gas to Electricity compression ratios. combustion Power Plants. Pittsburg, PA, US Department of Energy, N. E. T. L. By comparison, detailed simulations of National Energy Technology Laboratory. 1. (2007). Pulverized Coal Oxycombustion competitive processes indicate energy inten- Klara, J. M. (2007). Cost and Performance Power Plants Volume 1: Bituminous Coal sities of 1.6-1.9 GJ/ton (US Department of Baseline for Fossil Energy Plants: Vol. 1: to Electricity Energy 2007; US Department of Energy Bituminous Coal and Natural Gas to Elec- US Department of Energy, N. E. T. L. 2007; US Department of Energy 2008) while trcity. Pittsburg, PA, National Energy Tech- (2008). Pulverized Coal Oxycombustion both purity and capture efficiency are lower. nology Laboratory. 1. Power Plants Volume 1: Bituminous Coal Unpublished results communicated to the au- Klara, J. M. (2007). Fossil Energy Power to Electricity: Revision 2. thors suggest rates as low as 1.3 GJ/ton for Plant Desk Reference. Pittsburg, PA, Na- some processes at about 90% capture efficien- tional Energy Technology Laboratory. 1. Further information cy. Pacala, S. and R. Socolow (2004). "Stabi- For more information about the cryogenic All of these numbers assume a work- lization wedges: Solving the climate prob- carbon capture system developed by Dr. equivalent measure of energy. That is, adsorp- lem for the next 50 years with current tech- Larry Baxter go to: tion processes, which primarily consume heat nologies." Science 305(5686): 968-972. www.SustainableES.com rather than shaft work, are evaluated on the US Department of Energy, N. E. T. L. Or contact: basis of their impact on the net plant power (2007). Cost and Performance Baseline for info at SustainableES.com output, not on the amount of heat energy used.

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Capture news

CO2CRC H3 capture project launched major MIT symposium on retrofitting coal- www.co2crc.com.au fired power plants, and identifies a range of Australia’s most comprehensive post-com- possible next steps for the consideration of bustion CO2 capture research facility has policy makers, industry, and others engaged opened at International Power’s Hazel- in CO2 emissions mitigation. wood Power Station in Victoria’s Latrobe "There is no credible pathway toward Valley. prudent greenhouse gas stabilization targets "The CO2CRC H3 Capture Project will without CO2 emissions reduction from exist- trial three CO2 capture technologies with ing coal power plants. We urgently need tech- Australian brown coal flue gases and evalu- nology options for these plants and policies ate them for larger scale capture," said Mr that incentivize implementation," Moniz said. Barry Hooper, Chief Technologist of the Co- "We may not see a strong CO2 price signal operative Research Centre for Greenhouse for many years. In the interim, we need a Gas Technologies (CO2CRC), one of the large, focused federal program to develop and world’s leading CCS research collaborations. demonstrate commercial-scale technologies." "Projects such as this will make retro- The focus of the March 2009 sympo- fitting of post-combustion capture technology sium was the retrofitting of existing pulver- more practical and affordable for all power ized coal plants with the capture of CO2 from stations." flue gases after coal is combusted, or post- The project is using the 30 metre high combustion capture technology. solvent capture plant installed by Internation- Participants also identified a range of ad- The CO2CRC H3 Capture Project. Image al Power as part of the Hazelwood Carbon ditional technology options for cutting CO2 shows the solvent capture plant (pictured at back) installed by International Power as part Capture Project to test and evaluate new and emissions, including efficiency retrofits, co- of the Hazelwood Carbon Capture Project , as improved solvents, compare equipment per- firing of coal plants with low-carbon fuels, re- well as a CO2CRC adsorption rig (front left) formance, investigate impurities removal and building existing subcritical units to ultra-su- and membrane rig (front right). (©CO2CRC) optimise solvent capture processes. percritical units with capture, more extensive The project will use purpose-built re- rebuilds such as oxy-combustion or Integrat- Consideration should be given to includ- search modules to evaluate two new technolo- ed Gasification Combined Cycle with cap- ing a component for research on CO2 capture gies for CO2 capture; membranes and adsor- ture, poly-generation, and the repowering of from natural gas power plants. A robust U.S. bents. existing boilers with alternative fuels such as R&D effort with this scope requires about $1 New types of membranes can be used to biomass or natural gas. billion per year for the next decade (not in- sieve out CO2 molecules from gas streams Some of the key findings of the report cluding support for commercial scale demon- and can be integrated with solvent systems. include: stration). Adsorbents are solids that can capture • Relatively large, high-efficiency coal • The federal government should dra- CO2 on their surface, release it by reducing plants already equipped with desulfurization matically expand the scale and scope for util- the pressure and be reused over and over. and nitrogen oxide emissions controls are the ity-scale commercial demonstration of coal The project will allow CO2CRC to use best candidates for post-combustion capture plants with CO2 capture, including demon- the existing research base of its capture activ- retrofit. Such plants make up less than half of stration of retrofit and rebuild options for ex- ities in Victoria. The University of Melbourne the existing fleet. However, specific retrofit isting coal power plants. New government is developing solvent and membrane tech- projects will need to pass various site-specif- management approaches with greater flexibil- nologies while Monash University performs ic screens, such as available space, increased ity and new government funding approaches research and development on adsorbents. water supply, and CO2 off-take options. with greater certainty are a prerequisite for an The project is part of the Latrobe Valley A fleet-wide, detailed inventory of effective program. Post-Combustion Capture Project and is sup- plants and sites is urgently needed to deter- • The world cannot achieve significant ported by the Victorian Government, through mine which plants are suitable for retrofitting, reductions in CO2 emissions, avoiding the their Energy Technology Innovation Strategy rebuilding, or repowering or for partial CO2 most disruptive impacts of climate change, (ETIS) Brown Coal R&D funding, and by the capture solutions tailored to the current plant without commitments to reduce emissions Federal Government, through the CRC Pro- configuration. This inventory should inform from existing coal-fired power plants in the gram. policy makers about the range of options for United States and China. Bilateral approach- significant reduction of CO2 emissions from es on climate change should be encouraged MIT releases report on CCS retrofit operating coal plants in different climate pol- and supported as a matter of U.S. policy. Joint web.mit.edu/mitei/research/rep icy scenarios. R&D programs between the United States and orts.htm • The primary focus of research and de- China should be supported and funded. Professor Ernest Moniz, director of the velopment for existing coal plants should be The symposium included 54 subject MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) and for- on cost reduction of post-combustion capture. matter experts from a range of stakeholder mer undersecretary of the U.S. Depart- This is essential if retrofits are to be afford- groups, including academia, government, ment of Energy, has unveiled a report on able in developing countries. An expanded public interest groups, and industry. Sympo- reducing CO2 emissions from existing coal R&D program should also include efficiency sium participants were provided three com- plants. upgrades, rebuilds, repowering, poly-genera- missioned white papers on key issues in ad- The report is based on the findings of a tion, and co-firing with biomass. vance.

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Separation and Capture

Australia’s first pre-combustion capture project launched www.co2crc.com.au The CO2CRC/HRL Mulgrave Capture Project was launched in May 2009 at HRL’s gasifier research facility at Mul- grave in Melbourne, Victoria. The Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Technologies (CO2CRC) has commissioned three CO2 capture rigs with the aim of reducing CO2 emissions from the next generation of high efficiency coal gasification power stations. “The CO2CRC rigs will capture CO2 from syngas, the product of the brown coal gasifier, using three innovative new tech- nologies,” said Mr Barry Hooper, Chief Technologist of the CO2CRC. “These cap- ture technologies are equally applicable to syngas from brown and black coal, gas or biomass fuels.” Advanced gasifier technologies are CO2CRC researchers are using this solvent rig to evaluate and improve solvent technologies for separating carbon dioxide from syngas during the CO2CRC/HRL Mulgrave Carbon Capture highly suitable for CO2 capture prior to stor- Project (Image ©CO2CRC) age as they produce a concentrated stream of CO2. During the project, researchers will evaluate solvent, membrane and adsorbent technologies for efficiency and cost-effec- High-Temperature, High-Pressure Membranes advancement of amino-acid salt-based tiveness. The focus of this research area is membrane- carbon capture technology. “Our key objective is to reduce the based separation devices approaching the Both Siemens and TNO have been technical risk and cost of capturing CO2 theoretical separation selectivity and flux working in the field of CO2 capture for some from the next generation of coal gasification compatible with throughput rates of today's time. Siemens is developing a proprietary power stations,” said Mr Hooper. “Projects gasification technology second generation amino-acid process for such as this can also help demonstrate that High Efficiency Solvents CO2 capture in the industrial park at Frank- CCS is not only possible but practical. In this research area applications were furt Hoechst. TNO is involved in research as “It’s an exciting step up from lab re- sought for R&D leading to optimal perform- part of the CATO project in the Netherlands. search and will allow CO2CRC researchers ance of novel, high-efficiency solvents for Under the terms of the agreement, from the University of Melbourne and CO2 absorption allowing a step-change re- know-how and experience in this area are Monash University to undertake applied re- duction in energy requirements compared to now to be bundled in order to better use search in an industrial environment.” conventional solvents. common resources. The process is to be fur- The project is part of CO2CRC’s CO2 Solid Sorbents ther optimized with respect to power de- capture research program, one of the world’s In this research area applications were mand, and the associated costs reduced. most comprehensive. Australian CCS re- sought for R&D leading to optimal perform- Siemens is currently building a pilot fa- search is part of an international drive to ance of novel sorbents for adsorbing CO2 cility at the Staudinger power plant operated make deep cuts in global greenhouse gas with fast adsorption-desorption, and regen- by E.ON, where it will be testing its process emissions by capturing and storing CO2 eration kinetics, and a low energy require- under real operating conditions. from major sources such as power stations. ment to regenerate the sorbent material. “TNO is one of the first parties piloting The project has been supported by the Novel Concepts second generation capture solvents,” said Victorian Government, through Energy DOE solicited novel ideas on pre-combus- Lodewijk Nell, Business Development Man- Technology Innovation Strategy (ETIS) tion removal of the carbon content of the fu- ager CO2 Capture at TNO. “We have been funding. CO2CRC is supported through the el and separation devices beyond current testing various solvents since April 2008 in Australian Government’s CRC Program. benchmarks of performance and cost that our CATO pilot plant at the Rotterdam site can separate hydrogen or CO2 from the wa- of E.ON Benelux. We look forward to bring US DOE selects pre-combustion ter gas shift mixtures. In either option, the in our experience with amino acid salts sup- projects hydrogen must be available for the IGCC porting Siemens.” www.fossil.energy.gov plant at practical rates and purity. The technology for CO2 capture from The DOE has selected nine projects that the flue gas of power plants is an important will develop pre-combustion carbon cap- Siemens and TNO sign exclusive CO2 feature of the Siemens environmental port- ture technologies for coal-based IGCC capture agreement folio. In 2008, revenue from the products plants. www.siemens.com/energy and solutions of Siemens environmental The projects, totaling nearly $14.4 mil- Siemens Energy and TNO, the Nether- portfolio was nearly EUR19 billion, which lion, will be managed by the Office of Fossil lands Organisation for Applied Scientific is equivalent to around a quarter of Siemens Energy’s National Energy Technology Lab- Research, have signed an exclusive coop- total revenue. oratory. eration agreement aimed at the further

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Transport and Storage Revaluing mine waste rock for carbon capture and storage Current research at the University of British Columbia, Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering and the Department of Earth and Ocean Science is focusing on harnessing and optimizing a natural process - Carbon Mineralization, as an industrialized solution to the problem of CO2 storage. By Dr. Michael Hitch, Assistant Professor, Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering

Environmental sustainability and responsi- bility has become an integral aspect of mod- ern industries, and the mining industry in British Columbia is certainly no exception. Rising concerns over anthropogenic contri- butions to global warming through excessive greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are creat- ing demand to improve environmental prac- tice, with many new environmental action plans currently in the works. C u While the implementation of these poli- i cies will be an invaluable addition to current e environmental practices, it is important to t assess the economic and financial implica- s tions these regulations will have on the in- t dustry. w a The process Recent breakthroughs in sequestration re- S g search have shown that carbon mineraliza- s tion is both realistic and technically feasible r practice that may sequester large amounts of w carbon as stable carbonate minerals. In a Figure 1 - Relative sequestration capacity of Mg-Silicate tailings with wastes from other commodity mines (courtesy of G. Dipple, Dept. of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of British a thermodynamic context, carbonate minerals Columbia, Vancouver Canada) i are the most stable form of elemental car- l bon. best material for carbon mineralization. That material produces waste rock. This material e This is extremely important in carbon being said other types of mines also have is commonly drilled, blasted, and hauled to T capture technologies since leakage, com- significant sequestration potential. a permanent storage location and disposed c monly attributed to other CO2 sequestration of in stockpiles. Generally, these stockpiles o options, is prevented by forming naturally How mine waste rock and tailings play or dumps are large and represent complex r occurring and inert by-products. Mineral a role geotechnical structures. The heterogeneous carbonation simply takes advantage of and Historically, materials that do not contain ore nature of the material stored in waste dumps T accelerates the natural weathering process of minerals, industrial minerals, metals, coal or and the method of placement favours mate- F silicate rock and its tendency to react with mineral fuels, or when the concentration of rial segregation. s ambient CO2 to form carbonate minerals. these materials is sub-economic, have been This process determines the geotechni- s This chemical reaction is represented as fol- considered mine waste. These materials cal and hydrogeological behaviour of the t ( lows: must also contain commodities with a con- pile. The internal architecture of the pile is l MgSiO2 + CO2 = MgCO3 + SiO2 centration great enough to be mined prof- influenced by the material’s grain size, t itably. porosity, hydraulic properties, alteration of o Mg-silicates are ideal minerals for use The notion of cut-off is used to differ- rock forming minerals, and the dynamics as- p in mineral carbonation. The relatively low entiate waste rock from metalliferous ore. sociated with water (e.g. precipitation, evap- t solubility of alkaline earth metals promotes Cut-off is determined by the market value of oration, runoff, seepage, and water reten- t the fact that sequestered carbon is stable on the ore in each unit of rock that is mined tion). i a geologic time scale, thus reducing the risk compared to the cost of mining that unit. As The handling and storage of mine waste A of CO2 leakage over time and increasing the a result, every mining operation has a differ- constitutes a financial cost to the mine oper- w t storage options available. These metals are ent cut-off and criteria for the separation of ator. Estimates suggest around 1.5% – 3.5% A also relatively invaluable in other applica- waste from ore. Material that is not miner- of the total operating costs are associated o tions and are abundantly found worldwide in alized or has had the valuable commodity with mine waste management. A direct, pos- silicates. extracted from it is disposed of in an appro- itive impact on the project cash flow can be S Nickel mines with their associated priate manner. realized from the revenue of a saleable mine c waste materials have proven to provide the The mass excavation of mineralized waste product. e A 24 carbon capture journal - July - August 2009 t CCJ10:Layout 1 14/07/2009 10:52 Page 25

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

ESF-FWF Conference in partnership with LFUI

CO2 Geological Storage: latest progress Universitätszentrum Obergurgl (Ötz Valley, near Innsbruck) y Austria 22-27 November 2009

with support from

Capturing CO2 at large industrial plants and storing it underground in deep geological layers is a top priority in the race to significantly reduce atmospheric emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG), thus helping Chair: Isabelle Czernichowski- to mitigate climate change and ocean acidification. By Lauriol, CO2GeoNet - BRGM, FR storing CO2 underground, the carbon released through burning coal, oil and gas is returned back to where it was extracted, rather than released into the Co-chairs: atmosphere. Dr. Nick Riley, CO2GeoNet – BGS,UK

Dr. Rob Arts, CO2GeoNet - TNO, NL Since the 90s, a huge research effort on CO2 geological storage, especially in Europe, has led to significant outcomes and the technology has now reached a transition stage between research and worldwide deployment. There is now a need to assess the progress made, to bridge gaps between industry and research, to spread the results to a Invited speakers will include: larger community of scientists and to train young engineers and researchers. x Stefan Bachu, Alberta Res Council, CA x Mingyuan Li, U. of Petroleum, Beijing, CN x Frank van Bergen, CO2GeoNet-TNO, NL x Salvatore Lombardi, CO2GeoNet - The aim of this conference is therefore to draw x Christian Bernstone, Vattenfall, SE URS, IT conclusions from the last decades of research and to x Hubert Fabriol, CO2GeoNet-BRGM, FR x Nicolas Maurand, CO2GeoNet-IFP, FR outline the future challenges to be faced along the road to industrial implementation. x Robert Finley, Illinois State Geological x Franz May, CO2GeoNet-BGR, DE Survey, US x Jonathan Pearce, CO2GeoNet-BGS, UK The interlinked presentations will unroll as follows: x Peter Frykman, CO2GeoNet-GEUS, DK x Jeroen Schuppers, EC DG-Research, BE Firstly, a run-through of the characteristics of a good John Gale, IEA-GHG, UK Pierre Le Thiez, Geogreen, FR site for geological storage and how to select such x x sites (day 1), then the modelling techniques available x Lars Golmen, CO2GeoNet-NIVA, NO x Tore Torp, StatoilHydro, NO to determine the behaviour of CO2 in the reservoir x Laurent Jammes, Schlumberger, FR x Malcom Wilson, U. of Regina, CA (day 2), and consequently how to assess the risks x Aleksandra Kalinowski, Geoscience x Hilke Würdemann, GFZ, DE linked to geological storage (day 3), followed by how Australia, AU Ziqiu Xue, Kyoto U., JP to monitor a storage site (day 4). Finally, a summary x of the whole process of a CO2 geological storage x Anna Korre, CO2GeoNet -Imperial project, from design through injection to closure and College, UK then abandonment, will be given (day 5). In addition, two sessions will focus on current and planned industrial demonstrations worldwide (days 2 and 4). Application Form & Programme available from At the end of each day, an open discussion session www.esf.org/conferences/09293 will enable participants to raise specific issues and to take on a broader perspective of the whole process. Closing Date for Application: 30 August 2009 A poster session will also be organised, giving the opportunity for participants to present their work. European Science Foundation I Research Conferences Unit 149 avenue Louise I Box 14 I Tour Generali, 15th Floor I Brussels I Belgium Special grants will be available for young scientists to Tel: + 32 (0)2 533 2020 I Fax: +32 (0)2 538 8486 cover their conference fee and possibly travel Email: [email protected] I www.esf.org/conferences expenses. Abstracts and grant requests should be submitted via www.esf.org the online application form. CCJ10:Layout 1 14/07/2009 10:52 Page 26

Transport and Storage

An obvious indirect benefit can be re- Successful mines also build in the capacity The long-term costs of global warming alized if creating this product results in re- to adjust strip ratios to respond to commodi- have been deemed too high to not act. Thus, ducing the size and area of the waste rock ty pricing. setting a price on carbon is inevitable and es- storage facility, thus reducing the environ- An important consideration is the sential to lowering emissions. Successful mental footprint of the operation. A smaller chemistry of the waste rock material being operations will be those who embrace cli- waste dump requires less capital expenditure disposed of. Potential long-term impacts of mate change policies and incorporate the at the end of the mine life for rehabilitation, weathering and subsequent release of dele- costs and benefits into their business plans. closure, and long-term monitoring. terious liquors and dissolved metals deter- All climate change policies are devel- Rehabilitation of mine sites is a legisla- mine how waste is handled and stored. oped in response to the genuine concern for tive requirement throughout Canada and in the environmental effects of CO2 emissions. many parts of the world. Mining companies Implications of processing waste There is a growing consensus amongst polit- commit to a program of rehabilitation from The implications of using mine waste as a ical and economic analysts that policies suc- the onset of operations. If the program is de- substrate for carbon mineralization fall in cessful in curtailing carbon dioxide emis- veloped effectively, it incorporates the han- two broad categories. Each of these provide sions in a timely manner will require, in part, dling and storage of topsoil, waste rock, and both the means by which carbon can be man- the use of carbon capture and storage tech- tailings in such a way that will assist in the aged as well as having a direct and positive nologies. As part of a climate change plan, final rehabilitation of the sites. Mine plan- impact on both the supplier of raw material mineral carbon sequestration would not only ners must therefore consider the movement (miner) and the emitter. provide a potential financial asset to a suit- of materials, as well as the most appropriate able mining operation, it would be part of a storage of materials to minimize disturbance Improved Mine Economics practical and lasting solution to lowering and amount of work required for site reha- The impact on the project’s strip ratio is sim- greenhouse gas emissions. bilitation. ilar to that of the cut-off grade. By taking The potential economic return of the what was once a net cost item and revaluat- Summary and conclusions commodities to be mined drives mine design ing it as a co-product or by-product, the strip The waste from mining operations often has and operation. Optimization of an open pit ratio of the project decreases since a greater certain chemical properties that have the po- is an economic exercise where the cost of re- percentage of the material mined has value. tential for use in other industries. Detailed moving overlying unmineralized ‘waste’ The costs associated with mining this evaluation of the waste material’s chemistry, rock just equals the revenues – including new value added material can be apportioned specifically its reactivity, dictates its end use. profit. Simply put, cut-off is determined to the overall strip of waste (by-product ba- By its nature, relative to the ore material be- when financial unfeasibility or high operat- sis) or netted against any possible revenue ing mined, waste rock has no value. Under ing costs prevent the mining of an ore block from the sales (co-product basis). In either a scenario whereby rock waste can be used in sequence. case, the revenue stream from the revaluated in an alternate industry, it gains value and The optimal cut-off grade varies direct- material will be greater than the costs asso- immediately influences technical aspects of ly with anticipated changes in commodity ciated with mining it in the first place. operations such as strip ratio, cut-off grade, prices and can change dramatically during and consequently the project’s overall eco- the life of the mine. All material that falls Carbon Management nomic performance. below the cut-off grade is designated as As climate change policies evolve, opera- This paper has attempted to illustrate a waste and material above the cut-off grade tions will be defined by their amount of developing mining project that can produce is classified as ore. Cut-off grades drive the greenhouse gas emissions. The development a mineral product as a co- or by-product that amount and sequence of mining waste and of mineral carbon sequestration could make has far reaching value. The implications of ore, and leads to the development of the open suitable mines greenhouse gas neutral and this shift in the value of solid mine wastes pit’s strip ratio. could possibly become net-sequesters. This improves the project’s economics by increas- Strip ratio is equal to the amount of has great implications for the role of mines ing the revenue generating resource, reduc- waste rock mined to release or uncover ore with mineral carbonation capabilities in fu- ing the amount of non-revenue generating material. High strip ratios imply more waste ture carbon policies and regulations. material that has to be mined and land-filled, rock is produced to release a unit of ore as Under market-based policy approach- and by having a positive impact on the cap- compared to operations with low strip ratios. es, such as a cap and trade system (e.g. ture and sequestration of anthropogenic CO2 Defining these materials is predominantly British Columbia’s 2008 Greenhouse Gas emissions. determined by comparing the revenues and Reduction Act and the European Union’s the cost of extracting the commodity being Emissions Trading Scheme), firms that ex- The author mined. ceed a regulated carbon emissions limit will Dr. Fluctuating commodity prices poses have to buy credits from firms that emit be- Michael one of the greatest risks to consider during low the set limit or firms that sequester car- Hitch, As- mine planning and operation. Prices are de- bon. sistant termined on a global scale subject to the ac- In such policy arrangements, a suitable Professor, tual or perceived supply and demand for mine would be able to provide (or sell) car- Norman them. Pricing is fluid and is influenced by bon offset credits to firms that exceed their B. Keevil macroeconomic and geopolitical factors that carbon emissions limit. Alternatively, mine Institute of are beyond the control of a mine. The com- waste suitable for mineral carbon sequestra- Mining mon methods used to mitigate risks associ- tion could be sold to a firm which would Engineer- ated with unpredictable commodity prices then use the waste as part of its own opera- ing include the use of forward sales contracts, tions to lower its carbon emissions (Govern- hedging and long term smelter contracts. ment of British Columbia, 2008).

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Transport and Storage Transporting CO2 by pipeline: US issues and opportunities Thus far, the approach to widespread CCS deployment has mostly focused on the more demanding undertaking of carbon capture, but the practicalities involved in transporting CO2 to storage sites are just as vital because an extensive interstate pipeline network will be required. By Jude Clemente, Homeland Security Department, San Diego State University

Issues related to the onshore piping of CO2 • Corrosion work length between 15,000 miles and – the most economical transportation method • Material compatibility 66,000 miles by 2030 would be required. For – must be resolved because a number of an expansion of this magnitude, consistent large point sources are removed from stor- Specifications and protocols would technical guidelines are essential to rapid age sites. The US has around 3,500 miles of help CO2 pipelines gain more understand- permitting, siting, construction, and opera- CO2 pipelines, mostly in the Permian Basin ing and public acceptance. Pure CO2 is non- tion of new CO2 pipelines. The engineering of West Texas and New Mexico, transport- toxic and non-flammable, but it retains some obstacles involved are not insurmountable. ing approximately 45 million tons of CO2 special characteristics that make its transport The Intergovernmental Panel on Cli- from natural and anthropogenic sources, pri- a safety concern. CO2, which is heavier than mate Change (IPCC) states, “There is no in- marily for the functional use of EOR. air and tends to accumulate in low lying ar- dication that the problems for CO2 pipelines Tertiary oil recovery in the US has been eas if ventilation is poor, may cause adverse are any more challenging than those set by commercial since the 1970s and now yields health effects at concentrations above 10% hydrocarbon pipelines in similar areas or that about 250,000 barrels per day. But the po- by volume and poses a significant asphyxia- they cannot be resolved.”1 DOE’s Pacific tential is vast, as the US Department of En- tion hazard at concentrations above 25%. Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) ergy (DOE) says 90 billion barrels of oil Restrictions on the chemical composi- adds, “The sheer scale of the required infra- could become technically recoverable if tion of the fluids that move through CO2 structure should not be seen as representing CO2-EOR expands to a national level. pipelines need to be more thoroughly devel- a significant impediment to US deployment The present analysis discusses the four oped. Too much water, for example, can pro- of CCS technologies.”2 key transportation issues that could constrain duce carbolic acid and corrode carbon steel. the construction of a national CO2 pipeline There is a need for a more robust and 2) Regulatory Issues system in the US: 1) Technical Standards 2) transparent approach to smooth out the ir- The US agency that would be responsible for Regulatory Issues 3) Pollutant vs. Commod- regularities that persist. The current pipeline regulating a national CO2 pipeline system ity and 4) Costs. standards do not consider issues relating to has not been identified. Currently, CO2 piping CO2 from large-scale capture sources pipelines have similar siting requirements as 1) Technical Standards to storage sites. These uncertainties could oil pipelines. CO2 pipelines are sited under Transporting CO2 by pipeline in a liquid or become a barrier to the effective deployment state law, and operators are free to set their gaseous state is a proven and mature tech- of CCS on a broad scale. own rates and terms of service. The US De- nology. Specific Issues related to CO2 in its Existing hydrocarbon pipelines can partment of Transportation’s (DOT) Surface dense, high-pressure phase, however, are not generally be retrofitted to transport CO2 and Transportation Board (STB) can hold pro- fully covered in existing pipeline standards provide a window for guideline specifica- ceedings to determine if rates are reasonable or regulations. For an interstate CO2 tions. A 2007 report by the Massachusetts In- when a third party files a complaint – of pipeline system to take shape in the US, con- stitute of Technology (MIT) favorably com- which there are no known cases. sistent industrial guidelines are necessary. pared CO2 infrastructure with that of natural The federal regulation of CO2 pipelines Det Norske Veritas (DNV), a Norwe- gas, as the pipelines are constructed with a demands more consideration because both gian firm specializing in energy transporta- similar attention to design. STB and the Federal Energy Regulatory tion technologies, is joining with partners to There are about 300,000 miles of natu- Commission (FERC) declare they lack juris- develop the first industrial standards for the ral gas transmission pipelines operating in diction. Oversight would ensure common construction and operation of CO2 pipelines. the US. The MIT study concluded capturing carriers charge reasonable rates and do not The goal is to establish rules for limiting and the nearly 2 billion tons of CO2 emitted by discriminate among shippers. managing uncertainties and risks throughout coal-fired power plants in the US each year Recent studies by the Congressional the pipeline’s lifetime, such as the design, would generate a CO2 flow with just 33% of Research Service and others have found reg- testing, inspection, operation, maintenance, the volume of the natural gas now flowing ulatory gaps could hinder the development and de-commissioning phases. Due to limit- in the US pipeline system. Dooley et al of a national CO2 pipeline network. The ed current industrial standards, DNV’s proj- (2006) argued a CO2 pipeline network built Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Ad- ect will examine issues specifically related in response to climate change goals for 2050 ministration (PHMSA), a part of DOT’s Of- to: might only require the construction of a few fice of Pipeline Safety, oversees the con- • Safety hundred to less than a thousand miles of new struction and operation safety of pipelines • Fast propagating ductile fractures pipelines a year from now until 2030. (CO2 is listed as a non-flammable gas but • Fatigue crack growth On the other hand, depending on how treated as a hazardous liquid when piped). • Pipeline operation conditions much CO2 the US seeks to sequester, ICF Common carriage and private contract • Flow assurance International claims a total CO2 pipeline net- carriage are the two broad regulatory con-

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cepts for CO2 pipelines (oil pipelines evolved as common carriers because opera- tors did not own the oil they carried). Texas, the state possessing the most mileage of CO2 pipelines, requires the pipeline be a common carrier to obtain emi- nent domain powers. In certain states, devel- opers are forced to certify the pipeline is in the public’s best interest before projects are approved. These various differences among states could significantly impede the devel- opment of an interstate highway of CO2 pipelines in the US. Federal agency permits for CO2 pipelines may be required depending on var- ious jurisdictions across federal lands. The number of state, local, and federal permits needed for construction is expected to vary by pipeline route. Because CO2 pipelines are already in use, policy decisions impacting them take on an urgency perhaps not imme- Figure 1 – US Regulatory Framework: Oil, Natural Gas, and CO2 Pipelines diately recognizable. Note: PPI = Producer Price Index (Source: developed from ICF International data, 2009) The regulatory frameworks for the oil and gas industry are seen as potential ana- logues. Figure 1 illustrates the similarities CO2 for disposal in saline reservoirs would happens if there are CO2 leaks? and differences regarding the regulation of not need to have these same limits.”3 The The classification of CO2 will have a the three types of pipelines. For the regional US oil and gas industry has a long history of profound impact on CCS costs and could CO2 pipeline infrastructure to extend to a moving CO2 as a commodity for tertiary re- negatively influence the public acceptance national network, it is clear an explicit fed- covery operations that can help serve as a of any CO2 transport and sequestration eral regulatory framework must take root – model for its transport as a waste product. In process. This could alter the complexion of there are currently only six interstate CO2 fact, “The design of markets for CO2 as a future liabilities for emitters and pore space pipelines in the US. commodity in EOR will guide the way mar- owners. Realizing that uncertainties in the regu- kets develop for CO2 as a pollutant,” re- latory process of CO2 pipelines inhibit net- marks Owen Phillips, an economist at the 4) Costs work growth, the US Congress is attempting University of Wyoming’s Enhanced Oil Re- The construction and operation cost esti- to resolve some of the key issues. The Ener- covery Institute.4 Contracts for CO2 sold as mates for CO2 pipelines are generally based gy Independence and Security Act of 2007 a commodity can serve as a template for its on comparisons to natural gas pipelines. seeks to clarify the framework for issuance sale as a pollutant. PNNL reports the history of natural gas of CO2 pipeline rights of way on public land. CO2 was classified as a pollutant by the pipeline land construction costs suggest cap- The Carbon Dioxide Pipeline Study Act US Supreme Court in 2007. This decision ital costs are about $40,000 (all financial da- of 2007 requires the Secretary of Energy to could initiate new automobile regulations ta in US $) mile per inch of pipeline diame- study the feasibility of constructing and op- and lead to a national “Cap and Trade” CO2 ter. erating a national CO2 network. Under the policy. There are important questions relat- A large CCS fitted power plant produc- American Clean Energy and Security Act of ing to transportation. For example, whether ing 10 million tons of CO2 per year (ade- 2009 (Waxman-Markey bill), DOE and or not separate rates should exist for quate for three 500 MWe plants) and having FERC are directed to study the barriers in- pipelines carrying CO2 as an important com- a main trunk pipeline 26 inches in diameter volved in the widespread deployment of mercial commodity versus those carrying it would cost $1.2 million per mile. Pipeline CO2 pipelines. as pollution headed for disposal. transport costs for CO2 are mostly a func- In fact, Phillips (2008) points out there tion of the type and characteristics of the 3) Pollutant vs. Commodity are a number of legal obstacles when CO2 is point source, design mass flow rate, and the CO2 transported for functional purposes classified as a pollutant, as liability issues in- transport distance and terrain the pipeline brings with it issues distinct from its trans- crease when an underground geological for- must navigate to the selected storage reser- portation as an industrial pollutant. For ex- mation becomes a waste site. The uncertain- voir. These factors and other variables, no- ample, operators piping CO2 for EOR must ties that could potentially slow CCS deploy- tably pipeline diameter, can cause costs to ensure the pressure of any fluid in the ment include: fluctuate by a factor of five. pipeline is not too high to restrict production • Who owns the pore space and how MIT (2007) estimated overall annual- when mixed with the oil in the depleted are boundaries decided? ized pipeline transportation (and storage) reservoir. • What are the issues associated with costs of about $5.50 per ton of CO2. The According to ICF International, induced seismic events, subsurface trespass, group concluded that pipelines transporting pipelines carrying CO2 for EOR use would groundwater contamination, infringement of captured CO2 from a 1 gigawatt coal-fired need “minimum requirements for CO2 and other mineral rights? plant would require a diameter of 16 inch- maximum limits on nitrogen and hydrocar- • What environmental and natural es. bons. A pipeline that was built to transport resource laws apply? For example, what A study at the University of California

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Transport and Storage

at Davis in 2004 concluded such pipelines Conclusion built between 1991 and 2003 cost $800,000 Last year, per mile. The analysis found labor, materi- DOE reported als, rights of way, and miscellaneous costs the US has the respectively constituted 45%, 26%, 22%, capacity to and 7% of the total construction costs of US store 3,900 transmission pipelines built between 1991 billion tons of and 2003. CO2 at 230 The miscellaneous costs included sur- different un- veying, engineering, supervision, adminis- derground tration and overhead, interest, contingencies, sites. Consid- and regulatory filing fees. Ranging from ering the US 15% to 35% of total construction costs, the emits 6-7 bil- price of materials was closely dependent up- lion tons of on pipeline size. CO2 every To evaluate the cost of complying with year, this possible emission policies, EPA modeling means ample Figure 2 – CO2 Transport and Storage Cost. The figure depicts projects that systems use $15 per ton of CO2 to represent space exists to have a transport and storage cost totaling approximately $15 per ton of CO2, the transport and storage cost of CO2 once it store 100% of as shown by six sample points on the cost curve. (Source: developed from has been captured from a large anthro- its emissions Pacific Northwest National Laboratory data, 2008) pogenic point source. Figure 2 illustrates for approxi- PNNL’s cost split for six sample points on mately 560 the CO2 transport and storage cost curve years. Geology at the University of Texas has indi- where the totals are roughly $15 per ton. The very reason petroleum accumulates cated the storage of CO2 in underground ge- Case in reservoirs in the first place is because they ological formations is a bridge to America’s 1) Oil refinery in Mississippi in the are nearly perfect traps for buoyant fluids – energy future. Forming a national CO2 close vicinity of a depleted gas basin CO2 can be maintained as a supercritical flu- pipeline network in the US could be acceler- 2) Small gas-fired power plant in id in reservoirs greater than 800 meters. Ac- ated by the fact the topic is now a worldwide Louisiana in the close vicinity of a depleted cording to IPCC, properly managed geologi- discussion. With CCS now being viewed as gas basin cal formations are likely to retain more than the possible game-changer in the battle to re- 3) Coal-fired power plant in Iowa 85 99% of the injected CO2 for over 1,000 duce greenhouse gas emissions around the miles from a deep saline formation years. CO2 becomes much less mobile over world, effective carbon management and 4) Coal-fired power plant in Wisconsin time. transportation revolves around the large- 50 miles from a deep saline formation Research at the Bureau of Economic scale development of CO2 pipelines. 5) Gas-fired power plant in New Mexi- co 60 miles from an unmineable coal seam References The author 6) Smaller cement kilns in Kansas in the close vicinity of a depleted oil field Bert Metz. “IPCC Special Report on Car- Jude bon Capture and Storage.” Cambridge Uni- Clemente is Eventually, CO2 pipeline costs could versity Press, 2005. 181. an energy se- become even less of an economic barrier to curity analyst developing a national CCS program. Kinder Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and technical Morgan reports advancing technologies for (Dooley, Dahowski, and Davidson). “Com- writer in the EOR have allowed overall CO2 transport paring Existing Pipeline Networks with the Homeland costs to drop 40% since the 1980s. As glob- Potential Scale of Future US CO2 Pipeline Security De- al production issues persistently mount, in- Networks.” Science Direct. 2008. 1 partment at creases in the price of oil will raise techni- San Diego cally recoverable reserve levels and boost ICF International. “Developing a Pipeline State Univer- EOR production. Infrastructure for CO2 Capture and Stor- sity. He holds As for non-EOR CO2 storage projects, age: Issues and Challenges.” INGAA a BA in Polit- ICF International claims shorter pipelines Foundation. February 2009. 42. ical Science from Penn State University can be financed with corporate debt, while and an MS in Homeland Security from SD- longer pipelines may require some sort of Owen Phillips. “The Law and Economics SU. He also holds certificates in infrastruc- up-front financing supported by long-term of CO2 as a Pollutant and Commodity.” ture protection and emergency prepared- contracts. Enhanced Oil Recovery Institute, Univer- ness from the Federal Emergency Manage- Overall, the role of government fund- sity of Wyoming. March 26, 2008. 11. ment Agency, the American Red Cross, and ing in the development of a large-scale in- the US Department of Homeland Security. terstate pipeline network is an ongoing de- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Clemente’s research specialization is bate. The capture, transport, and storage of (Dooley, Dahowski, and Davidson). “On energy security at the international level. industrial CO2 provides a dual economic the Long-Term Average Cost of CO2 His publications include Oil & Gas Jour- benefit of working to reverse a declining US Transport and Storage.” US Department of nal, Pipeline & Gas Journal, Energy Pulse, oil and industry and help obtain climate Energy. March 2008. 5. and Energy Bulletin. change goals.

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Transport and Storage New study into the challenges and potential for CO2 pipeline infrastructure CO2 transportation tends to receive a lower profile than CO2 capture and CO2 storage. But this crucial link in the CCS chain should not be brushed aside. By Harsh Pershad, Element Energy Where the designs, financing, regulation and tainty over supply and demand for CCS. Oth- integrated siting of CO2 transport infrastructure are er challenges include the appropriate selec- pipeline net- carefully chosen, the safety, scale, cost-effec- tion of models, that provide all stakeholders works with tiveness and public acceptance of transport- reassurance that CO2 pipelines will be run in multiple ing CO2 may be significantly improved. familiar ways, that they will operate safely, sources and Conversely, insufficient attention to these de- and that they provide a genuinely low cost sinks, vs. tails has the potential to thwart CCS projects, and large scale solution – which is the ulti- ‘point-to- resulting in stranded assets, stalled develop- mate driver for CCS. point’ net- ment of CCS generally, and greater risks of In light of these requirements, the IEA works. This climate change. Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme recently would guide At large scale, the most economic means commissioned a consortium led by Element govern- of transporting are by ship and by pipeline. Energy Ltd to investigate the opportunities ments and Ship transport is expected to have a niche role and barriers for CO2 pipeline infrastructure. industry on – as it offers the potential for lower capital The consortium includes Professor Martin the benefits Harsh Pershad, Element Energy costs for sources, short project lifetimes, and Downie from Newcastle University, Dr. Paul of collabora- flexibility. However, most in the industry Zakkour from Carbon Counts and Mr. Paul tive approaches. agree that the much lower operating costs and Hunt, an independent consultant who has pro- 4. A review of legal and regulatory higher reliability will favour pipeline trans- vided advice on the economic regulation of barriers to optimum pipeline deployment. port in most circumstances. Nearly 4000 natural gas networks to numerous govern- This would include identifying legal conven- miles of high pressure pipeline are used safe- ments and industry. tions that forbid cross-border transport and al- ly to transport CO2 in North America for en- The scope of the study is large – it will so regulatory structures that reduce the poten- hanced oil recovery, and this number is grow- encompass tial for efficient investment and operation of ing. More recently a dedicate CO2 pipeline 1. A review of the health, safety and pipelines. transports purified CO2 for offshore storage engineering design challenges for CO2 in Norway as part of the Snohvit project. pipelines – recognizing the novel physico- More information However the challenges for deployment chemical properties of CO2 streams derived The study is due to submit draft findings in of a low cost CO2 pipeline infrastructure con- from capture processes. September 2009. Interested readers who sistent with widespread adoption of CCS are 2. Scenarios for the future global loca- wish to provide input to the study are large and diverse. One important challenge is tions, capacities, and costs of CO2 transmis- requested to email Harsh Pershad at the financing – obtaining sufficient funding to sion pipeline infrastructure, given estimates earliest opportunity at: harsh.pershad support high capital expenditures with long of CCS demand, sources and sinks. @element-energy.co.uk payback periods in a climate of great uncer- 3. An assessment of the economics of Transport and storage news US in partnership to monitor Sleipner Academic researchers from Scripps and nique as an effective monitoring tool and as- www.fossil.energy.gov LDEO will collaborate with their Norwegian sessed CO2 reservoir conditions for those In a newly awarded project, researchers colleagues from StatoilHydro in the analysis years. funded by the U.S. Department of Energy of the results. The project will create approx- (DOE) are partnering with European sci- imately eight full-time jobs per year, which E.ON to explore CO2 storage potential entists to track injected CO2 at the Sleip- will be supported throughout the two-year in Germany ner gas field in the North Sea. project. www.eon.com Researchers from the Scripps Institution The technology to be used in the proj- E.ON Gas Storage GmbH (EGS) has filed of Oceanography at the University of Cali- ect recognizes that, as gas is injected into the an application with the Lower Saxony fornia, San Diego, and the Lamont-Doherty sandstone reservoir, the density of the forma- mining, energy and geology office (LBEG) Earth Observatory (LDEO) in New York will tion is altered as water in the pore spaces is for permission to carry out geological in- conduct surveys on the seafloor to monitor displaced by lower density CO2. This densi- vestigations in the Weser area in Germany. injected CO2. ty change affects the strength of the Earth’s Over the next five years the area is to An ocean vessel will position sensitive gravity field. be examined to see whether geological con- gravity meters on the seafloor using a ship- Gravity surveys performed by the sci- ditions are suitable for building an under- tethered remotely operated vehicle carrying entists at different times provide snapshots of ground CO2 storage facility. This study is the instruments. Data from the instrument the CO2 plume migration deep below the part of an E.ON programme for carbon cap- packages on the seafloor will be transmitted seafloor. Surveys performed by Scripps in ture and storage (CCS). to operators aboard the ship. 2002 and 2005 validated the gravity tech- The application for an exploration per-

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Transport and Storage

mit covers 17 towns and districts in Lower als for the realization of 9 Doctoral Theses Saxony and Bremen. The study is divided in- on Geological Storage of CO2. The final goal to three phases: In the first two years, geo- of these grants is to train new researchers for logical underground data will be collected Ciuden's staff. The grant-holders will work and evaluated. In the third and fourth years, in R&D centres under the supervision of the seismic surveys are to be carried out and ex- current Foundation researchers. ploration wells drilled. In the fifth year, the Length of the grants is 4 years (maxi- study is to be completed with geological mum) and applicants should be in possession three-dimensional modelling of a conceiv- of a Bachelor’s degree in a subject related to able CO2 storage facility together with all the purposed research topics, be an EU Citi- collected data on a supercomputer. zen and proficient in Spanish and English. Illinois Basin - Sugar Creek site - image shows Deadline for applications is July 31, the CO2 pump skid located in a covered hut. The low temperature of the CO2 flowing UK-Norway to study role of North Sea 2009. through the pipe causes water in the air to in CO2 storage condense on the pipe and freeze www.decc.gov.uk CO2 injection begins in Kentucky A study of the role of the North Sea in pro- project viding storage space under the sea-bed for www.kyccs.org Western Kentucky CO2 test well CO2 from European countries has been sequestration.org drilling begins commissioned jointly by the UK and Nor- A Department of Energy sponsored proj- Fifteen months after project planning be- way. ect in Hopkins County, Kentucky has be- gan, drilling has started in Hancock Coun- Lord Hunt and the Norwegian Minister gun injecting carbon dioxide into a ma- ty, Kentucky for a test well to research the Terje Riis-Johansen, met to agree on a clear ture oil field to assess the region's CO2 permanent storage of CO2. vision for the potential role of the North Sea storage capacity and feasibility for en- The 8,300-foot well will help determine in the future deployment of CCS in Europe, hanced oil recovery. the feasibility of injecting CO2 into geologic at the conference on Climate Change and The project is part of DOE's Regional formations to help reduce emissions of green- Technology in Bergen, Norway. Carbon Sequestration Partnership (RCSP) house gases to the atmosphere. The study will look at how quickly the program and is being conducted by The Mid- The project is the result of a joint effort base of the North Sea could be needed for west Geological Sequestration Consortium between Kentucky state government agen- carbon dioxide storage and what the UK, (MGSC). The project is part of the RCSP's cies, the Kentucky Geological Survey Norway and other countries have to do to get "validation phase," where field tests are be- (KGS), and a consortium of public and pri- it ready in time. ing conducted nationwide to assess the most vate participants. The aim of the study will be to build a promising sites to deploy carbon capture and The project was made possible by a $5 profile for the whole of the North Sea, as- storage technologies. million grant awarded to the geological sur- sessing each countries’ storage potential and The Kentucky test is designed to inject vey from the Kentucky Department for Ener- projections of likely volumes and locations up to 8,000 tons of CO2 over a period of 6-8 gy Development and Independence as a re- of CO2 flows, against a rising price of car- months into an existing brine-water injection sult of appropriations from the Kentucky bon. well at depths of about 1,900 feet. At this General Assembly. This will involve identifying network depth, the CO2 will remain in a gaseous state A portion of this grant is used for the issues and proposing methods for managing and will only partially mix with the oil it en- west Kentucky project, with substantial CO2 flows across borders. counters. matching funds provided by industry part- The study will also consider how the This type of enhanced oil recovery, ners. The KGS recruited corporate partners offshore storage business might develop. termed an "immiscible" CO2 flood, can re- who have contributed the majority of the The UK and Norway have also agreed cover an additional 5–10 percent of a reser- funding and services crucial to completing to campaign for international recognition of voir's original oil-in-place. Following injec- the project. the important role that CCS can play and ex- tion, the oil, gas, and water produced will be NorAm Drilling, Inc. of Houston, change information on national CCS demon- measured to evaluate the field’s enhanced oil Texas, has been selected to drill the well, a stration plants and to encourage other coun- recovery characteristics. task that is expected to take 45 to 60 days. To tries to explore the potential role of CCS To monitor the fate of the CO2, the protect shallow groundwater and oil and gas within their own energy generation pro- MGSC, with technical support from the resources of the drilling site, the upper 3,800 grammes. Kentucky Geologic Survey, will implement feet of the well will be lined with steel cas- a monitoring program at the site. The pro- ing. Call for PhD proposals in CO2 geological gram will consist of tracking the rate and Project plans call for drilling through storage volume of injected CO2, and the pressures the Knox and Mount Simon formations to www.ciuden.es and temperatures within the well. These test their potential to permanently store CO2. The Spanish Foundation CIUDAD DE LA measurements will provide an indication of Studies have indicated these formations may ENERGÍA (CIUDEN) has launched a Call how efficiently the CO2 displaces oil within have characteristics needed for such storage. For Proposals for the realization of Doc- the reservoir and how efficiently the reser- The well will penetrate Precambrian toral Thesis on Geological Storage of CO2. voir stores the CO2. basement rocks at its total depth. Samples of CIUDEN is a Research and Develop- Ambient air quality around the wells geologic formations will be taken for testing ment Institution created by the Spanish Ad- will also be continuously monitored to en- and analysis, and up to 1,500 tons of carbon ministration in 2006 and one of the current sure worker safety, as will groundwater qual- dioxide will be injected into deep formations European CCS R&D Initiatives. ity to ensure that injected CO2 is not leaking to further the understanding of the feasibility Ciuden has launched a Call for Propos- from the oil reservoir. of commercial CO2 storage.

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Multisite UK locations

Part of a multi-billion Opportunities have now arisen to join the dollar technology group, our organisation and play a pivotal senior role in developing and applying future technologies client is a market leader within the energy industry in the field of CO2 at the forefront of developing abatement. advanced carbon capture Principal Engineer – R&D (Ref. CCS/025) solutions. Despite the Senior Engineer – R&D (Ref. CCS/026) economic downturn, they Team Leader – R&D (Ref. CCS/027) continue to enjoy the Project Manager (Ref. CCS/028) fastest growth in the long Possessing excellent interpersonal skills history of the organisation. you will have a demonstrable track record of leadership in your field of expertise. Wishing to capitalise on their success to date, It is anticipated you will have experience they are determined to stay at the forefront of emissions reducing solutions and it of the Carbon Capture and Storage industry. would be advantageous if you have been Developing emissions reducing solutions for involved in developing an innovative fossil fuelled plant, they play an essential role technology in the laboratory and ultimately in meeting their customers’ environmental transition to full-scale commercialisation. objectives and legal obligations. A relevant engineering qualification, or equivalent, is required, e.g. Chemical With a significant R&D investment Engineering. Applications from those programme in place, they are uniquely with Post Doctorate experience, seeking placed to launch their next phase of growth. a rewarding opportunity within industry, would be encouraged. Underpinning the success of the business All roles attract competitive salaries and is their approach to people. They recognise excellent benefit packages the quality and performance of their people is fundamental to maintaining this success To find out more, please contact story. Attracting and nurturing talent is a Mike Thomson, either on 01423 567707 or high priority for the company and they invest email [email protected]. heavily in people through accredited training All enquiries will be treated in complete and skills development programmes. confidence.

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