Reduce emissions? Just bury CO2

Collecting CO ₂ , burying it in the ground, the ocean floor . is one of the solutions to limit greenhouse gas emissions in the air, being applied initially in some countries.

CO2 is transported by truck and stored in liquid form (at -20 ^° C) in two containers. Then, CO ₂ is heated up and pumped into coal seams located at depths of 1,050-1,090m below the ground in Silesia (Poland), through a well. When CO ₂ penetrates into coal seams, it also releases methane gas. This methane gas is again drawn up and collected through the second well for industrial use.

It is an unimaginable technology process being applied under the name RECOPOL. The project has started piloting since the end of 2003 with the help of many countries such as Germany, France and the Netherlands .

The results of the project were dissected at an international conference on the collection and storage of CO2 in Paris from 3 to 5-10-2007. This is the second conference to assess the initial results of emissions reduction solutions discussed in the conference two years ago.

Buried - most feasible

According to a UN study, burying CO2 can be one of the best ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions today.But the development of this project must be carried out slowly because of the high cost and also because it takes time to estimate its safety and legality.

"This is an emergency. Greenhouse gas emissions, mostly CO ₂ , have increased by 3% per year from 2000 to 2006, while the average increase in the 1990s was only 1.1%. " - French director Franøois Moisan French Environmental Agency urgently urged.

The report at the conference said the solution to capture CO ₂ in the smoke emitted by thermal power plants and cement plants, bury it in the ground, into oil fields or coal seams that have expired. on the ocean floor, is one of the most feasible options to limit the pollution that is causing the climate to heat up.

For countries that are emitting a lot of CO ₂ such as the US, India, China, Australia, this solution should be especially focused. France alone said it will widely use new technologies from now until 2020.

In terms of costs, the immediate assessment conference cannot assess the economic profit. The technology for extracting CO2 is very expensive, accounting for about 70% of the total cost. Next must transport CO2 and bring it into the underground geological layers or under the seabed. Experts estimate the cost of handling a ton of CO ₂ currently around 60 euros. The most reasonable is to reduce the cost to 20-30 euros / ton, which is equal to the tax rate for CO ₂ emissions under the Kyoto Protocol.

In addition, the requirement is to lock CO2 into the ground for about 1,000 years - the time needed to stabilize the atmospheric CO ₂ ratio. The concern of current environmental organizations is that under the ecological impact, bubbles can follow the cracks of the detention place and fly out. For this issue, at the conference, the French Bureau of Ecological and Mining Research proposed drafting "General security criteria".

One of the two wells " processes CO2 to recover methane " in Poland (Photo: TTO)

Hide under the North Sea

Although still in the start-up and exploration phase, CO ₂ gas pilot projects are being replicated around the world. In Denmark is the project Castor, in France is the project of Total Group .

In the North Sea, Statoil Norway will pump CO2 into an aquifer located at a depth of 1,000m on the ocean floor - the place chosen is an ancient laterite bed and the Norwegian Government has not spared the pouring money. research. The company implementing the plan Gassnova said that it should transport gas to the place by pipeline instead of by ship to reduce costs.

Emissions are also mainly taken from two power plants in Kaarsto and Mongstad in the West Bank. These are two factories built to supply electricity to the rapidly growing oil and gas industry in Norway. Currently the cost for this project has not been disclosed.

Gassnova's report said "the transport and storage of CO ₂ could be implemented from the end of 2011 or early 2012, matching the time to start receiving CO2 from . Kaarsto Power Plant. The investment decision is expected in late 2008. ' Norway's plan is to cool to liquefy carbon dioxide, then inject this liquid into two hydrated rock reservoirs of Johansen and Utsira, or aquifers. on the ocean floor through a well.

YEW
According to energycurrent, recopol, Reuters, AFP, Youth