Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => The Environment => Topic started by: lachlannicholaz on 14/05/2013 04:21:45
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In 2011, construction began on a full scale integrated carbon capture and storage demonstration project at the SaskPower Boundary Dam lignite power plant, in Saskatchewan. Two years later and the facility is nearing completion. Boundary Dam is on course to being among the first low carbon fossil power plants in the world. The facility will capture one million tonnes of CO2 per annum from a 110 MW pulverised coal unit when it begins operation next year. The CO2 will becompressed and transported 60km for use in Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR).
Construction of the CO2 capture facility is taking place in parallel to an overhaul of unit three in the coal power plant. The upgrades include boiler modifications and replacement of the steam turbine. As a result, even with the parasitic energy loss due to CO2 removal the thermal efficacy of the unit will decrease.
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Do you mean that the thermal efficiency of the unit will increase?
Personally I dislike the idea of carbon capture and storage. To store CO2 in underground spaces is not a sustainable option, possible leaks could be disastrous, the additional fuel required to perform the capture process will result in more output of the other pollutants in coal, ie, mercury and other heavy metals (including radioactivity), particles which lead to many deaths due to breathing problems.
Sadly it is seen as “a get out of jail free” card in the climate change effort. Also the underground spaces could be used to store excess energy from renewables as compressed air, to be used to drive turbines to generate electricity at periods of high demand.
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Yeah, don't like it either. A scam to me, similar to those Carbon taxes. Hope people aren't that gullible, but he*, when it comes to ones wallet :) one never knows? In this case the question stand between that wallet and our descendants. I hope it will be the last option that wins here.