Learning Outcomes 

By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

• Understanding of artificial sequestration​
• Understanding technologies for Artificial sequestration and Carbon capture and storage (CCS)​
• Understanding of utilisation options and applications after storage​
• Appreciation of advantages and challenges of artificial sequestration​
• Applicability of artificial sequestration in industry

Video Duration: 20 minutes approximately

Lesson Notes

What is Artificial Sequestration?​

• Capture and storage of CO2 from industrial activities​
• Range of techniques​
  • Evolving quickly to reduce the impact of larger emitters, especially petrochemical and steel manufacturing industries

For image see Reference Link 1.

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)​

• Utilise exhaust gases from an industrial process which are high in CO2​
• Capture that CO2 through a range of possible mechanisms​
• Storing in solid, liquid or compressed gas form​
• Typically stored underground​
• Exploration of storage in hollows left behind from fossil fuel extraction​
• Less explored area: converting the CO2 and converting it into different types of fuels and plastics​
  • Challenging because of physical processes and energy intensive to convert CO2 into another form

Advantages of Artificial Sequestration​

• Not as many benefits as natural sequestration
  • No co-benefits of increased biodiversity and ecological improvement
• Allowing industry to keep what it is doing for as long as possible​
• Does allow industry to capture some of their CO2 emissions which would otherwise be released to the atmosphere

For image see Reference link 3.​

Challenges of Artificial Sequestration​

• Encourages industry to keep going as it already is, and using artificial sequestration as a ‘license’
• Expensive and energy intensive technologies​
• Meeting design requirements

For image see Reference link 4.​

Application of CCS in Industry​

• Most carbon capture and storage is based on large industrial sites​
  • Large petrochemical sites​
  • Large power stations​
• Need significant scale and significant volumes of CO2 to justify the cost​

Within New Zealand, probable not feasible. The only plants which may be of interest would be someone of the scale of the Huntly power station, and perhaps New Zealand steel.

For image see Reference link 5.​

Case Studies​

• Important to think about the economic picture of the country: Economies who rely significantly on extraction may justify the cost of CCS technologies as a panacea to continue operation

For image see Reference link 6.​

Case Study 1: Boundary Dam​

• Location and Operator: The project is located at the Boundary Dam Power Station, operated by SaskPower​
• Technology: The project uses post-combustion carbon capture technology to remove CO2 from the emissions of a coal-fired power plant unit​
• Capacity: It is designed to capture approximately 1 million tonnes of CO2 per year​
• Storage: The captured CO2 is either stored underground in deep geological formations or used for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) in nearby oil fields, helping to increase oil production while sequestering CO2

For images see Reference links 7. and 8.

Case Study 2: Al Reyadah CCUS Project​

• Location and Operator: The project is located in Mussafah, Abu Dhabi, and is operated by ADNOC and Masdar​
• Technology and Capacity: The facility captures around 800,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually from Emirates Steel’s production facility​
• Storage and Utilisation: The captured CO₂ is transported via pipeline to ADNOC’s oil fields, where it is injected into reservoirs for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR). This process helps to boost oil production while sequestering CO₂ underground​
• Impact and Goals: The project contributes to ADNOC’s objective of reducing the carbon intensity of its operations by 25% by 2030

For images see Reference links 9. and 10.

Conclusion

• Artificial sequestration is very topical at the moment, and has been seen implemented overseas, but needs large process scale and volumes of CO2 produced to be a viable option​
• While artificial sequestration may reduce the carbon footprint of a process, it does not change the amount of CO2 which is being produced. Focus should be turned towards reducing emissions at their source​
• The outcomes of artificial sequestration are also less well-known than those of natural sequestration​
• Looked at case studies of:​
  • Boundary dam, and​
  • Al Reyadah CCUS Project

Reference Links

1. https://bellona.org/news/eu/2023-06-carbon-capture-and-storage-a-crucial-piece-of-the-puzzle-in-industrys-path-to-net-zero
2. https://understand-energy.stanford.edu/tools/carbon-capture
3. https://energytheory.com/what-is-carbon-sequestration/
4. https://emag.directindustry.com/2023/06/08/carbon-capture-waste-and-resource-the-challenges-of-ccs-and-ccus-storage-transport-utilization/
5. https://www.sintef.no/en/latest-news/2019/this-is-what-you-need-to-know-about-ccs-carbon-capture-and-storage/
6. https://petrolessons.com/product/carbon-capture-and-storage-course/
7. https://www.canadianconsultingengineer.com/features/boundary-dam-integrated-carbon-capture-storage-award-excellence/
8. https://ccsknowledge.com/our-services/expertise/bd3-ccs-facility#:~:text=The%20Carbon%20Capture%20Facility%20is,reliable%2C%20clean%20source%20of%20energy
9. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/steeldataturkey_ccus-co2-steel-activity-7190560227224670208-wcCW/
10. https://fossil.energy.gov/archives/cslf/Projects/AlReyadah.html