Carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) currently offers an attractive solution to reduce this emission. The technology captures the carbon dioxide that would have been emitted into the atmosphere from power plants (usually coal) and instead store it someplace, hopefully forever. It might allow us to continue using fossil fuel, without causing global warming. CCS is indispensable when coal is to be used. It could contribute 12% of the total carbon dioxide reduction in 2050 - more than the reduction achieved by hydroelectric power, biomass, solar and wind, all renewable energies combined.

CCS and storage:

Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS) 1. CO2 pumped into and captured in un-mined coal beds displaces methane which can be used as fuel 2. CO2 can be pumped into and stored safely in saline aquifers 3. CO2 pumped into oil fields helps maintain pressure, making extraction easier

1. Un-mined coal beds - small scale storage trials are ongoing, dependent on the bed permeability.

2. Deep saline aquifers - being the largest potential for carbon dioxide storage. Currently several such projects are implemented, such as the Sleipner project in Norway.

3. Depleted oil and gas reservoirs  - while this method guarantees save permanent storage from its previous storage of oil and gas history, the injection of carbon dioxide enhances oil and gas recovery, thus reducing cost. Companies such as Siemens are pumping the captured carbon dioxide into empty gas fields and deep underground locations.

Suitable sites are aplenty, the more urgent problems are those of economic viabilities. According to a special IPCC report, it is only viable when the price of a carbon credit costs around US 25 - 30. As for the business public, most would say 'not in my backyard', till well-regulated policies are enforced to ensure leakage-proof.

Sites need to be large to make it economically viable to capture the carbon dioxide, such include power plants and natural gas wells. The capture stage is most costly and researches are ongoing to look for more efficient capture processes.

Transport to a storage location - This may be carried out using pipelines as is employed currently in the US and Canada.

The European Union may set aside 10 billion euros from one of its public funding to set up CCS facilities to coal-fired power plants, lawmakers and European Commission sources said. There is this urgent need due to the rapidly increasing number of coal-fired plants in China and India. It plans to build more than 10 demonstration plants in the battle against carbon dioxide emissions. Without funding, utilities are reluctant to build CCS.

The China director for the Climate Group, revealed to NY Times on Jan 9, 2009,  that many new power plants in China are being built with space set aside for the eventual installation of CCS technology for capturing, compressing and eventual disposal (storage) of carbon dioxide.

China and Australia officially announced a collaboration on Jul 31 2008 on a pilot project which will be the first post-combustion capture and storage (PCC) in China, expected to capture 3,000 tonnes of the gas annually. PCC technology feeds gases (containing carbon dioxide) from power stations through an absorbent solution to capture the carbon dioxide. Emission reductions will be more than 85%, but technology is just in its early stage. (scidev.net)

But the critics said:

Although carbon-capture equipment reduces 85-90% of the carbon exhaust from a coal-fired power plant, it has no impact on the carbon resulting from the mining or transport of the coal or on the exhaust of other air pollutants. In fact, because carbon capture requires a roughly 25% increase in energy from the coal plant, about 25% more coal is needed.

Some environmentalists argue CCS is unsafe and could bring catastrophic effect to global warming should there be a leakage due to man-cause negligence or natural disaster. CCS could divert investment from renewable power sources which are viewed cleaner and greener alternatives. Others say it is a necessary evil to keep greenhouse gas emissions below levels dangerous to global warming.

EU Eyes $14 bln Emission Permits for Carbon Capture   [2008-9-18]
Australia to Open Up Sea Bed for Carbon Storage   [2008-6-26]
Is Coal with Carbon Capture and Storage a Core Climate Solution?
US Clings to Coal Energy But Wants It Clean AFP - Feb 13, 2009
Carbon Capture Firm Could Use the Ocean to Combat Global Warming Greentech - Feb 12, 2009
CO2 Capture Project
UK and China Work on Carbon Capture   [Feb 12, 2009]

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