Coal is one of the cheapest
and most abundant fossil fuel sources in the world. It is an indispensable
natural resource which has allowed mankind to transform its surroundings at an
unprecedented level. Fossil fuels
provide 85% of the world’s energy (Coal & Electricity). Approximately 39%
of this share is produced from the combustion of coal. It is one of the most
widely geographically distributed sources of energy. Coal power plants are
among the most efficient
The upper safety limit for
atmospheric Carbon dioxide is 350 parts per million (Jenkins 2014). However, the current atmospheric concentration
of carbon dioxide is just over 400 ppm. Simply reducing emissions
will not address this issue; the world needs a way to physically remove the
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. For this reason, Carbon Capture and Storage,
CCS, emerges as a key emission mitigation strategy.
 |
| A diagram of an advanced on-site Carbon Capture and Storage System. |
The
process works by capturing the carbon dioxide before it can enter the
atmosphere. The carbon dioxide is collected and compressed to a liquid state
and transported to a storage reservoir (Nijhuis 2014). The liquid carbon
dioxide is then injected up to 1.5 underground into geologic formations for
permanent storage (Nijhuis 2014). There are currently 12 large scale CCS system
in operation and have achieved measurable success (Shin, John, 2013). It is
estimated that the technology will have the capability to reduce carbon dioxide
emission from prospective coal-fired power plants between 75 and 90% (Uibelesen,
2012). The technology could be
retrofitted to existing power plants. It would allow for the continued use of
fossil fuels without the accompanying increase in carbon dioxide. CCS
technology has been in development for several decades and shown remarkable
success in small-scale production.
It
is imperative that we engineer a solution to address the elevating levels of
atmospheric carbon dioxide. There is no general consensus to what capacity
Carbon Capture and Storage system will play in this issue. CCS has been tested,
extensively, and has shown to be technologically viable in small scale field
studies. It is likely that a dramatic shift in the social and economic
landscape will have to occur before CCS systems can begin commercial scale
carbon mitigation. In my next post I will discuss several current events which pertain
to my topic. What are your thoughts on Carbon Capture and Storage systems, do
you think that they have real world applications, or are they just a ploy to
continue reckless use of fossil fuels? I hope that this space will become an
area for public discourse. Please feel free to share your thoughts on the
matter.
References
Coal & Electricity.
(n.d.). coal electricity, coal
power plants. Retrieved May 30, 2014, from http://www.worldcoal.org/coal/uses-of-coal/coal-electricity/
Guo, L. (2012). The sustainable
development system structural model of shaanxi coal industry. Journal of
Sustainable Development, 5(1), 128-132. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/917635336?accountid=14541
Nijhuis, M. (2014,
April 1). Can Coal Ever be Clean?. National
Geographic, 225, 33 -
41.
Shin, G. K., & John, L. M. (2013).
Revolutionary chemical looping technology advances CLEAN COAL. Power
Engineering, 117(11), 22-24,26-28. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1468591363?accountid=14541
James
ReplyDeleteYour blog is very nicely written and factual. You have a lot of statistics and reliable sources to back up your claims. Your diagram is also very helpful for those that do not know your topic as well. Also the background image fits in perfectly with your blog, very professional.
Personally I think we need to turn to other sources to power our machines I know a while back someone invented a car that ran on water and now we have some on electricity. So we are improving it is just hard getting it past the big companies that profit from our use.
Thank you for your helpful feedback. I think that renewable sources of energy are obviously the most ideal models for sustainability. But as you mentioned there are many obstacles that prevent the these types of technology from being viable. Clean coal technology will improve efficiency and give us a buffer period to begin switching to more desirable forms of energy. I will also be discussing the intersect between policy/politics and the research done on the subject
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ReplyDeleteJames
ReplyDeleteYour blog was nice and I can say one thing for sure that the heading of your article may not be liked much by pollution activists. The fact that coal is available in abundance in the world and can meet the increasing electricity needs without a doubt is what really keeping coal in business. Most of the electricity that is produced today is still from coal. It is awe fully cheap as compared to solar and I think what really makes wind a competitive option is the carbon taxes. Also wind and solar are location specific and can’t promise the reliability. Nuclear technology is good and contains more power an coal thowever people are very scared of the word nuclear.