Carbon Capture and Sequestration Graham Friant and Rahul Ramanna Sustainability The main goal of CCS is to increase the sustainability of the current system of fossil fuel powered economies, until fossil fuels can be phased out of use or CO 2 emissions are otherwise reduced significantly. Carbon capture and sequestration isn’t a complete long term solution to CO 2 emissions, rather it is part of a group of solutions needed slow down the rise in CO 2 levels. The only real long term solution is to drastically reduce CO 2 emission from their current state. Sustainability The main goal of CCS is to increase the sustainability of the current system of fossil fuel powered economies, until fossil fuels can be phased out of use or CO 2 emissions are otherwise reduced significantly. Carbon capture and sequestration isn’t a complete long term solution to CO 2 emissions, rather it is part of a group of solutions needed slow down the rise in CO 2 levels. The only real long term solution is to drastically reduce CO 2 emission from their current state. Enhanced Recovery Methods Carbon sequestration is a method of storing CO 2 underground that also forces otherwise unobtainable oil to the surface. CO 2 injection works by not only by adding pressure to the well, but also mixing with the crude oil to make it lighter, more vicious, and helping it detach from rock surfaces. A similar method can be used to force natural gas out of coalbeds. In this method CO 2 is injected into unminable coal beds or coalbeds that are of to poor quality to mine. As the price of oil increases this becomes increasingly cost effective Oxy-fuel Oxy-fuel is a technology that has revolutionized the capture stage of CCS. Oxy-fuel is the name for the process of burning the fuel in 95% oxygen and recycled flue gas. Oxy-fuel limits the products of the reaction to only carbon dioxide and water, making it much easier to sequester the CO2. The graphic below shows the oxy-fuel process step by step. Continues Rise Atmospheric CO 2 Levels Carbon dioxide levels fluctuate depending on the month and between years. Over the past 400,00 years CO 2 levels have ranged between 180 ppm and 300 ppm. Recently atmospheric levels have risen to 400 ppm. Continues Rise Atmospheric CO 2 Levels Carbon dioxide levels fluctuate depending on the month and between years. Over the past 400,00 years CO 2 levels have ranged between 180 ppm and 300 ppm. Recently atmospheric levels have risen to 400 ppm. Transportation The technology required to transport large amounts of carbon dioxide isn't new, it only needs to be implemented. CO 2 transportation is very similar to the pipelines used for natural gas transportation. Once pipelines are created the process of transporting liquid CO 2 from capture sites to sequestration sites is fairly simple and cheap. Transportation The technology required to transport large amounts of carbon dioxide isn't new, it only needs to be implemented. CO 2 transportation is very similar to the pipelines used for natural gas transportation. Once pipelines are created the process of transporting liquid CO 2 from capture sites to sequestration sites is fairly simple and cheap. Sequestration After carbon dioxide has been captured it must be dealt with. Carbon sequestration stores captured CO 2 deep underground, around 800 meters. The main benefit of this method is that it actually removes captured CO 2 from the carbon cycle. Certain types on formations are required to store CO 2 effectively, however, the U.S. Department of Energy estimates that upwards of 20,000 billion metric tons of CO 2 could be stored in the U.S. The main problem is that it is costly and needs to be observed afterward to ensure there are no leaks. Ethics Solving global warming is an ethical apriori issue because climate change threatens the future of the human race. Rapid climate change could change the climate of earth making it no longer inhabitable, and humanity is quickly approaching the point of no return for emissions. Solving global warming should be an important ethical consideration for all future engineering projects.