Is Carbon Capture Viable

In a sustainable future, renewable energy such as wind and solar will be the dominant sources of power, but that doesn’t mean that fossil fuel use will completely disappear. By utilizing carbon capture technology, it is possible to run fossil fuel power stations at net zero levels. How does carbon capture technology work, and is this a viable strategy?

There are several ways that carbon capture can remove carbon dioxide either by:

1.      1) Post combustion scrubbing it from the exhaust.

2.      2) Pre combustion where the fuel is partially combusted to remove the carbon dioxide and then used again.

3.      3) Oxyfuel combustion which is when the combustion is done in oxygen instead of air allowing the capture of 100% of CO2 but making it very costly.

After the carbon dioxide is removed, it must be transported and stored, the most efficient way to transport the gas is through pipelines, and it is sent to depleted natural gas reservoirs, where it will be stored deep underground. There are concerns about the carbon dioxide leaking out, but with regular monitoring and safety measures put in place, this is not a concern with the reservoirs expected to hold 99% of carbon dioxide over a 1000-year period.

All these methods achieve the same objective of preventing carbon dioxide from getting into the atmosphere, but they all have a common issue: it make the process of creating electricity much more expensive and less viable. A new fossil fuel power plant that utilizes carbon capture technology produces electricity that is 21%-91% more expensive than one without. Wind and solar power are already cheaper alternatives then fossil fuels without carbon capture being accounted for, this makes the choice even easier.

Fossil fuels will still have a role to play when renewable energy in unable to be utilized, but on a large-scale renewable energy is the future; it is cheaper and doesn’t require extra systems to be built to be made carbon neutral because it already is. You too can become a part of this renewable future by considering our Anorra turbines and towers, learn more here.