CCS-Not a solution in developing countries

Human beings’ demand for energy continues rising dramatically these days, so more fossil fuels are burnt to satisfy their needs. Meanwhile, the climate problem, due to carbon dioxide emissions, has become far more serious. A new technology called carbon capture and storage (CCS) is put into practice in some cities so that atmospheric concentration of CO2 can be reduced. According to Stephen’s view (2006), CCS technology seems to be the most likely technology to solve this serious problem. Although Stephen stated that some CCS projects have achieved success in developed countries, it still cannot be put into use on a large scale, especially in the developing countries. There are three reasons, namely their high cost, potential risk, and pollutions.

Many supporters of CCS argue that nowadays there are a handful of projects succeeded in capturing CO2. However, most of those projects are limited to the developed countries which are rich in fossil fuel resources and have large capitals, like the U.S., Norway and Canada. For developing countries, the high cost of CCS is the main barrier that prevents the construction of plants with CCS technology. Roughly, if CCS is established, the retail cost of electricity will be raised by 20%. (“Putting the carbon back,” 2006). Thus, CCS is not cost-effective, especially in the capture stage. A huge burden will then fall upon both coal producers and consumers. Therefore, CCS is not realistic for developing countries which are short of capital resources and natural resources.

Potential risk is another problem. Even though, in principle, the deep aquifers can trap huge amounts of gases, these deposits are still under the risk of leaking the gases. No matter how carefully the sites are chosen, gas releases are hard to avoid. The reservoirs’ limited ability to tackle carbon dioxide or a sudden catastrophic disaster, such as an earthquake, may contribute to the CO2 emission. (“Putting the carbon back,” 2006). Since carbon dioxide is denser than the air, it will come down and fill up a hollow or valley nearby. Moreover, the gases which are trapped under the sea can even cause a tsunami, or landslide. The potential risk troubles both the public and the private sites. In developing countries, the situation gets even worse, for if they don’t have enough financial resources to build up the security system, the safety cannot be guaranteed. As a result, CCS cannot solve the problem in developing countries.

Last but not least, pollution caused by CCS is another severe issue. The deposited carbon dioxide might react with minerals. Once the reactions begin, many undesirable contaminants form. Gradually, the surface layer of riverbeds or ‘cap-rock’ will be removed. In addition, the quality of water is affected. Consequently, soil and underground drinkable water are contaminated. The research of the Frio Brine Pilot Experiment in Texas shows that the more acid is formed under the deep brine which poses potential threats to its surrounding environment. If CCS were constructed in developing countries, they might not afford to cover the cost to prevent the pollution. In other words, the CCS technology is not environmentally friendly, and developing countries will bear a huge burden to take care of the pollution caused by CCS.

In conclusion, CCS technology is only at the laboratory stage. Even though the successful capture of carbon dioxide emissions has shown its positive effects, this technology is not practical in developing countries, on a large and industrial-scale. Their high economic costs, uncertainties or risks and pollution are three main obstacles which restrict the application of CCS.







References

Stephens, J. C. (2006). CCS: Research is not enough. In The World Energy Book (pp.15-18). London: World Energy Council.
Sheppard, R. (2007, March 9). CBC News In Depth: Kyoto and beyond. Retrieved October 2, 2008, from http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/kyoto/capturing-carbon.html

problems in study

Wow, how time flies… I have been an engineering undergraduate in NUS for 9 weeks already. It is a nice and impressive experience. I make a lot of friends here and enjoy my new life. More importantly,I try to study hard and at the same time join many clubs. Life is really wonderful.
When reflecting on the modules I’m learning, I think MLE1101 is the hardest one. I’m still not very familiar with the technical words and I don’t have the background of material science. So the knowledge of material science is quite a new subject to me. As a result, I often get lost during lectures. That's bad... In order to overcome such a problem, I think I need to put more efforts on self-learning. Moreover, I should ask tutors or friends about the questions I have.
Hope I can get a good result on MLE1101.