Environment/S&T Q.Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies and their importance. A. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), or carbon sequestration, is a means of separating out carbon dioxide when burning fossil fuels, collecting it and subsequently “dumping” it underground or in the sea. It is also one of the flexibility mechanisms defined under Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) in the Kyoto Protocol. Carbon capture produces a concentrated stream of CO2 that can be compressed, transported and eventually stored. Some capture technologies are economically feasible under specific conditions while others remain in the research stages. It dds to the over all cost of unit electricity. As India becomes a considerable emitter in terms of total CO2 CCS acquires importance. Coal is likely to be the mainstay of our energy sources. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has concluded that CCS can contribute between 15-55 percent of the cumulative emission reduction effort to 2100, providing it with a central role within a portfolio of low carbon technologies needed to address climate change. International Energy Agency (IEA) says that that CCS is the most important single new technology for CO2 savings in both power generation and industry. India has been taking a cautious approach towards CCS technology. Public understanding of CCS technology in India is very low. Currently, although India favours a sustainable development strategy and wants to bring in counter measures to curb the development of global warming, it still opposes the capture and store method due to the lack of technical parameters. Majorly also due to the economic feasibility, as there is significant potential to reduce the cost and energy demand of CO2 capture and compression processes through technological advancements and investment in research and development.
Posted on: Sun, 19 Oct 2014 04:37:07 +0000