|
| EUROPA > European Commission > Environment > Climate Change > Carbon Capture and Geological Storage (CCS) | Contact | Search on EUROPA |
|
What is Carbon Capture and Geological Storage (CCS)?
Carbon capture and geological storage is a technique for trapping carbon dioxide as it is emitted from large point sources, compressing it, and transporting it to a suitable storage site where it is injected into the ground. It has significant potential as a mitigation technique for climate change, both within Europe and internationally, particularly in those countries with large reserves of fossil fuels and a fast-increasing energy demand. How does CCS work? Before carbon dioxide gas from power plants and other point sources can be stored, it must be captured as a relatively pure gas. This is not a new technology as CO2 is routinely separated and captured as a by-product from industrial processes. Captured CO2 needs to be stored (in compressed form) and transported to the place of sequestration. CO2 can be sequestered directly in geological formations including oil and gas reservoirs, unmineable coal seams, and deep saline reservoirs. The security of sequestration depends on the site characteristics and management: the 2005 IPCC Special Report on CCS concluded that the fraction retained in appropriately selected and managed geological reservoirs is very likely to exceed 99% over 100 years and is likely to exceed 99% over 1000 years. Potential risks, and barriers to uptake The environmental integrity of CCS is the Commission's overriding concern. This is partly a matter of ensuring that the CO2 captured and stored remains isolated from the atmosphere in the long term; and partly about ensuring that the capture, transport and storage elements do not present other health or ecosystem risks. Although the components of CCS are all known and deployed at commercial scale, integrated systems are new, and a clear regulatory framework must be developed. Another issue is the cost of capture and storage. Capture in particular is an expensive component. Flue gas from coal- or gas-fired power plants contains relatively low concentrations of CO2 (10-12% for coal, and around 3-6% for gas), and the energy needed to capture at such low concentrations imposes a significant efficiency penalty and thus additional cost. The Commission has proposed a regulatory framework and is examining ways to promote commercialisation of CCS through a network of demonstration plants (see CCS in Europe). |
Carbon capture and geological storage is a technique for trapping
carbon dioxide.... 
The Commission has identified two major tasks for deployment
of Carbon Capture and Geological Storage (CCS).... 
The Commission
has adopted a proposal for a Directive on the geological storage of CO2...