Mitigation of Global Warming in Australia - Carbon Capture and Storage

Carbon Capture and Storage

See also: Carbon capture and storage in Australia

The Rudd-Gillard Government stated support for research into carbon capture and storage CCS as a possible solution to rising greenhouse gas emissions. CCS is an integrated process, made up of three distinct parts: carbon capture, transport, and storage (including measurement, monitoring and verification). Capture technology aims to produce a concentrated stream of CO₂ that can be compressed, transported, and stored. Transport of captured CO₂ to storage locations is most likely to be via pipeline. Storage of the captured carbon is the final part of the process. The vast majority of CO₂ storage is expected to occur in geological sites on land, or below the seabed. Disposing of waste CO₂ in the ocean has also been proposed, but this method has been largely discounted due to the significant impacts CO₂ would have on the ocean ecosystem and legal constraints that effectively prohibit it.

However, according to the Greenpeace False Hope Report, CCS cannot deliver in time to avoid a dangerous increase in world temperatures. The earliest timeframe for deployment of CCS is not expected before 2030, and global emissions need to start falling well before that.

The Report also states that CCS wastes energy, and uses between 10-40% of the energy produced by a power station. It also asserts that CCS is expensive, potentially doubling plant costs, and is very risky, as permanent storage cannot be guaranteed.