Carbon Capture [UPSC Notes]

The British government is in the process to build a fresh power plant that would capture carbon dioxide and preserve it beneath the North Sea.

In this article, you can read all about carbon capture, an important topic for the UPSC GS-3 section.

What is Carbon Capture?

It is the process where carbon produced through any process is not allowed to get released into the atmosphere. It is instead either re-used or stored in ground cavities like decommissioned oil and gas reservoirs or mines, or permeable rocks referred to as saline aquifers.

This captured Carbon Dioxide can have multiple potential uses:

1. Energy generation: Using CO2-based steam cycles that involve pressurizing CO2 into a supercritical fluid may enhance the transfer of heat and reduce the energy needed to compress steam, resulting in the more efficient operation of power generation turbines. Furthermore, geologically stored CO2 has the potential to produce renewable geothermal energy by extracting geothermal heat from the same areas where it is injected.
2. CO2 can be used to enrich concrete and increase its strength.
3. It can be converted into fuel, however, the process is extremely difficult, with high costs.
4. Carbon dioxide has the potential to be utilized in the production of chemicals and plastics, such as polyurethanes which are commonly used in the manufacturing of soft foams such as those used in mattresses.

Also read: Carbon sequestration

Benefits of Carbon Capture

In this section, you can read about the benefits offered by carbon capture.

1. Helps in reducing a country’s carbon footprint even if a carbon intense activity is undertaken.
2. Will be an important bridge in the process of energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable and other non-conventional sources.
3. Will help prevent job losses associated with the phasing out of carbon-intense energy resources and agricultural activities.
4. It will also help in generating alternate employment options related to capturing and use of CO2.
5. If fully developed, the technology can help us selectively sequester CO2 and other greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

Overall, this technology will play a big role in mitigating the impacts of Greenhouse Gas emissions and will help us achieve our Paris Convention Goals.

Carbon Capture Current Status

As per a report from the Global CCS Institute, there were only 30 carbon capture facilities across the globe in September 2022. These facilities are primarily connected to industrial plants that engage in activities like natural gas processing or fertilizer production.

Currently, the only operational carbon capture power station in the world is located at Boundary Dam in western Canada, and it is a coal-fired plant. Nonetheless, various carbon capture gas power stations, akin to the ones proposed in the UK, are under development mainly in the US.

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