Controversial carbon capture technology faces a difficult road to commercial reality – The Irish Times

Carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) is becoming part of the decarbonization agenda, including in Ireland, where the first stages of sector expansion are evident. But the technology is controversial because it has not been proven at scale, is currently very expensive, and carries a significant risk that if used incorrectly with little regulation, it could become a get-out-of-jail card for the fossil fuel sector.

The UK government’s CCUS plan to capture carbon dioxide from large industrial plants and inject it into rocks beneath the North Sea is “a fossil fuel boondoggle that will accelerate climate breakdown”, predicted the Guardian’s George Monbiot.

The £21.7 billion commitment to building CCUS capacity is the largest commitment of any government in the world and reflects the enormous cost involved. However, the complexity of energy and carbon issues is such that CCUS is not a simple yes/no proposition—and cannot be dismissed on the basis of ongoing costs or potential environmental damage.

CCUS involves capturing CO2, typically from large point sources such as power plants or industrial plants that use either fossil fuels or biomass as fuel.

When not used on site, captured CO2 is compressed and transported by pipeline, ship, rail or truck for use in various applications, or injected into deep geological formations such as depleted oil and gas reservoirs or saline aquifers.

CCUS can be retrofitted to existing power plants and industrial plants, such as a municipal waste incinerator, to ensure their continued operation. It can address emissions in hard-to-cut sectors, especially heavy industry – especially the cement, steel or chemical industries.

It will also enable the lowest-cost, low-carbon production of hydrogen, which could help decarbonize other parts of the energy system such as industry, trucks and ships. CCUS can remove CO2 from the air—direct air capture (DAC)—to balance emissions that are impossible or technically difficult to reduce.

From the perspective of an overheating planet, perhaps the most insidious use of CO2 is in oil production: enhanced oil recovery typically involves injecting steam, chemicals or gas to extract oil from depleted or inaccessible reserves.

The wider context is outlined by Professor Marcella McManus, Director of the Center for Sustainable Energy Systems at the University of Bath: “There is a lot of discussion about using CCUS to promote continued use of fossil fuels. However, the industry needs to rapidly decarbonize and defossilize. We currently do not have enough renewable electricity to meet our industrial and domestic needs, and some industrial processes are very difficult to electrify.”

So as countries expand renewable energy infrastructure and supply, CCUS can be part of the transition, she says.

“This doesn’t necessarily lock us into fossil fuels in the long term, because once we stop getting fossil fuels out of the ground, we’ll still need carbon for many materials and processes—and we’ll need a source of it. CCUS could be combined with other fuel sources in the future to help build part of the circular economy in the long term.”

McManus adds: “However, we cannot do this alone. Demand management must be the first step, and while we do need some carbon storage to help reduce carbon emissions, it is critical that we create pathways and technologies for a fossil-free future rather than simply continuing to use fossil fuels with CCUS.”

She emphasizes that we “are in a crisis and we need all the options available to us.”

The long-term forecast for the planet is that technology—including the unknowns under this heading—will be critical to achieving net-zero emissions by mid-century. And because of global warming, with average temperature increases likely to exceed 1.5 degrees, the world may have to achieve “negative emissions” – that is, removing CO2 from the atmosphere.

DAC technologies extract CO2 directly from the atmosphere anywhere. Again, CO2 can be permanently stored in deep geological formations or used for a variety of purposes. This is the most expensive application of carbon capture.

CCUS was recognized by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in its landmark Sixth Assessment Report in 2022 as a climate change mitigation solution, although it “has the highest costs and the smallest possible contribution to net emissions reductions in both energy and industrial sectors.” sector.” However, this meant that CCUS was included on the Cop28 agenda in Dubai last year, with countries now including it as a “contributing factor” to meeting their emissions targets.

Fossil fuel states such as Saudi Arabia have pushed hard for CCUS to be included in UN negotiations as they see it as a way to continue their lucrative business while keeping emissions captured and buried. But the vast majority of leaders and scientists see a very limited role for CCUS, especially because it doesn’t even capture all emissions.

The idea that this could allow fossil fuel companies to continue business as usual is a “fantasy”, says Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency.

Climate and Energy Minister Eamon Ryan echoed the sentiment on Cop28, but added: “Hands up and be honest. We’re going to do carbon capture and storage.” He noted that it could be used with waste incineration plants, such as the large Covanta plant in Ringsend, Dublin, as well as in cement production.

More than 700 projects are at various stages of development in the CCUS value chain, which analysts say, if fully deployed, will remain well below what is required in a net zero scenario.

Deloitte’s head of sustainable infrastructure, Stephen Prendiville, says in Ireland it is largely in the research and development stage and is still focused on potential uses. A significant number of pilot projects are beginning to be implemented, in which several Irish companies are participating.

But the downsides are obvious, Prendiville says: “It’s not easy to get verified information. It’s expensive.”

The price of carbon is currently too low to encourage expansion, although this is expected to change.

There is a need to move forward and overcome inherent barriers, Prendiville said, because carbon decline curves show that if people want to have a modern lifestyle and economy, “they’re going to need these technologies.”

The UK’s approach, he explains, is to provide a regulated asset base, which is feasible given the country’s large industrial centres. Ireland, by contrast, does not have such infrastructure. Accordingly, Prendeville expects the UK to become a hub for CCUS technology.

It will take many years to achieve commercialization, he said, but big questions remain about who pays for it, what the responsibilities are and how effectiveness is monitored. He says these are the questions that have been asked about the development and use of green hydrogen in Ireland and answered to accelerate industrialization.

There is a risk that the technological problems may be solved, but commercialization may take years. Therefore, CCUS discussions should begin sooner rather than later, including identifying individual technology providers and storage options such as the Kinsale or Corrib gas fields.

One Irish company, NEG8 Carbon, is further along the road to commercializing DAC than most. It began in 2014 as a result of carbon capture research being carried out at Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin, and following investment in 2021 the team began commercializing the technology.

The company is based in Waterford, where its laboratories and development center are located. The company has developed Ireland’s first operational DAC system, which focuses on an innovative approach to the use of sorbents to absorb CO2.

NEG8 Carbon says the key to widespread adoption of DAC technology is the cost per tonne of CO₂ captured, and the technological breakthrough will reduce costs.

His system has been proven to reduce energy consumption by 20 percent. This reduces the amount of sorbent required by 80 percent, reduces regeneration time by 90 percent (meaning a much more efficient system) and increases CO₂ absorption by 50 percent.

The company recently announced significant technology upgrades to its DAC system to improve its efficiency. It works by drawing in large amounts of air and passing it through sorbent materials designed to attract and retain CO2 molecules. The captured CO2 can then be safely stored underground or converted into climate-neutral carbon products such as clean aviation fuel.

“These innovations significantly improve our DAC technology. They improve efficiency and sustainability, reinforcing our commitment to delivering effective solutions to combat climate change,” says Dr John Breen, CTO of NEG8 Carbon.

NEG8 Carbon says its goal is to capture 100 million tonnes of CO₂ annually by 2050.