What is CCUS?
CCUS
stands for carbon capture, utilization, & storage, which are all activities that aim to reduce carbon in the atmosphere in an attempt to reach net carbon zero emissions. Learn about each of these processes below.
Carbon Capture
Most predictions for world energy demand identify hydrocarbon fuel as a key ingredient of the energy mix in the near-term. However, increased burning of these fuels will result in more CO2 emissions which will need to be sequestered to meet global climate goals (net carbon zero by 2050). Even steel and cement industries will need carbon capture as part of their sustainability. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates a 20% reduction of CO2 emissions with the aid of carbon capture and storage (CCS) within the next 30 years.This target may require up to 20 Gt/year of capturing anthropogenic CO2 from atmosphere and storing starting in 2050 (IPCC, 2018). This is a dramatic increase over the current CCS capacity of 35 Mt per year. Although Carbon Capture is not our focus area, we can connect you to one of our partners that specialize in such technologies.
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CO2 Utilization
Carbon utilization of CO2 can be either in the form of injecting CO2 for EOR which would increase oil recovery whilst trapping it in the in situ fluids. There are other uses for captured CO2 such as biocapture, which is storing CO2 in organic matter, or converting CO2 into other useful products, such as methanol or pharmaceutical products. Quantification of entrapped CO2 in porous media is required to access the economic CO2 sequestration.
CO2 Storage
The objective of underground storage is to contain CO2 for a long period to mitigate climate change. At present, CO2 storage within depleted oil and gas fields or deep saline aquifers is considered the most likely means of sequestering CO2. This is due to their large storage capacities and the fact that some of the infrastructure needed for CO2 injection is already in place as a result of oil and gas production. Storing CO2 in basalt formations as a more permanent storage site (due to reactions with minerals at high temperatures to form stable carbonate minerals) has also been proposed. Storage Characterization activities are required to provide assurance on CO2 containment. Subsequent special monitoring technologies are currently being developed, which could provide information on sustainability of CO2 entrapment.
Mediating the Greenhouse Effect with Technology:
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In the video on the left, watch the historical moment in 1985 when Professor Carl Sagan testified in the United States Senate on the future impacts of (Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies (GHGT).
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Dr. Sagan and several others testified on how greenhouse gases affect the global climate system and brought forth possible ways to address these effects with current and emerging technologies.
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Source:https://www.c-span.org/video/?125856-1/greenhouse-effect