CARBON DIOXIDE RECOVERY AND DISPOSAL FROM LARGE ENERGY SYSTEMS

Increases in greenhouse gas emissions and concerns about potential global climate change are stimulating worldwide interest in the feasibility of capture, disposal, and utilization of CO2 from large energy systems. Technology to capture CO2 from power plant flue gas, while energy intensive and expensive, is commercially available. Capture from advanced combustion systems offers a further opportunity to significantly reduce cost and energy requirements of CO2 capture compared to that from today's pulverized coal power plants. No viable disposal options exist today for large quantities of captured CO2. Ocean disposal of CO2 and geological storage, especially in depleted oil and gas wells, are leading candidates. Although some niche utilization may occur, utilization seems unlikely to become a major sequestration option. Since CO2 capture and sequestration is a relatively expensive mitigation option, it can be regarded as an insurance policy. However, since CO2 mitigation options are few in number, continued research to reduce the costs of CO2 capture and to develop feasible sequestration options is important.