Despite the steep price of CCS, Mountaineer is not alone. In the U.S., utilities are planning multibillion-dollar power plants that will incorporate CCS; by 2011 Alabama Power may outsequester Mountaineer and bury 150,000 tons of CO₂ from its Plant Barry in the Citronelle Oil Field. Abroad, China has several test facilities, and in Iceland an international consortium of researchers will pump CO₂ into underground basalt where it will react to form a carbonate mineral.

But even if CO₂ is permanently locked away in rock, other environmental problems surrounding coal remain. The technology does nothing to remedy the impacts of coal mining, particularly mountaintop removal, or residual toxic fly ash, among other issues. Moreover, although the Environmental Protection Agency has begun to craft rules to regulate the CO₂-injection wells, it is still unclear who owns the pore space resource as well as who assumes liability in the event of an accident, such as a sudden, geyserlike release of the gas.

Nevertheless, given looming regulation on emissions, utilities are anticipating extensive CCS installation in just the next few decades. “Our first full scale would be around 2015, and by 2025 we would have a pretty considerable amount constructed on large coal units,” Spitznogle says.

That means one thing: higher electricity prices. In May 2007 the Department of Energy estimated that capturing 90 percent of the CO₂ with amine scrubbers would make electricity at a cost of more than $114 per megawatt-hour, compared with just $63 per megawatt-hour without CO₂ capture. For the consumer, the extra cost would amount to about $0.04 per kilowatt-hour—a necessary price, perhaps, for less of the warming gas in the atmosphere.

Note: This article was originally printed with the title, "Burying Climate Change."

This article was originally published with the title Burying Climate Change.

2 Comments

1. 1. dwbd 08:24 PM 11/1/09

   The Canadian Gov't are planning to spend $2 billion on a dubious scheme to capture & sequester 5 million tonnes of CO2, at a cost of $400 per tonne. That way the Oil Gang gets to abuse public land to sell Oil at a profit, gets to sell the NG to process the Oil at a good profit, and gets the taxpayer to pay for a $2 billion public relations exercise – to pretend they’re seriously going to cut CO2 emissions!
   
   One example of a nuclear alternative, the Hyperion Nuclear Reactor. With 70 MW thermal output, well suited for providing process heat in the Tar Sands. Cost C$32 million. See:
   
   http://nextbigfuture.com/2009/10/hyperion-power-generation-uranium.html
   
   With a zero CO2 output, it will produce 6.2 TWh of heat within 10 years, before needing refueling. Displacing NG, that will amount to 1.2 million MTs of CO2 avoided. Displacing Coal Thermal energy, that will amount to 1.8 million MTs of CO2 avoided.
   
   Cost of NG CO2 avoided = C$32 million / 1.2 million MTs = $27 per MT.
   Cost of Coal CO2 avoided = $17 per MT.
   
   Compare with the Alberta Gov’t CCS special of $400 per MT.
   
   That’s just using one fuel cycle. What about including two or three fuel cycles? Probably drops below $10 per MT.
   
   But there’s more to consider. We are also avoiding the cost of the Natural Gas or Coal fuel over the 10 year Hyperion fuel cycle.
   
   Taking NG @ a forecast price of $7 per GJ, and using a 5%, 10 year bond to finance the NG purchases, that yields a Present Value of $121 million, fuel cost.
   
   Taking Coal @ a delivered price of $50 per ton, that would be $43 million fuel cost.
   
   Conclusion. Each Hyperion Nuclear reactor used instead of CCS, would save $480 million in CCS costs, and $121-$32 million = $89 million in NG fuel costs, or $12 million in Coal fuel costs. IN OTHER WORDS ZERO CARBON IS NOT ONLY A FREE BONUS, BUT A MONEYSAVER!! AND THAT’S JUST FOR ONE FUEL CYCLE!!
   

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

2. 2. dwbd 08:34 PM 11/1/09

   Another point about CCS. The Fossil Fuel companies are getting total indemnity protection from the Government for any releases of their supposedly contained CO2, that could suffocate every living thing for miles around. So much for Price-Anderson protection for Nuclear. This rarely mentioned fact makes Price-Anderson look like a hand slap.

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this