Carbon Capture & Storage
DOE: Hopeful on Coal’s Future
Coal remains a vital component of U.S. energy supply, and carbon capture and storage is a key to the fuel’s future, Energy Secretary Steven Chu asserted.
Energy Secretary Steven Chu discusses the importance of carbon capture and storage to coal’s future in the nation’s energy equation. (Photo By: DOE)
“Our challenge is to lead the world” in development and deployment of this technology, the secretary said at a Sept. 8 forum on the future of coal. The session was held at the University of Charleston in West Virginia.
At the forum, Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.V., reiterated his opposition to legislation that would cap carbon dioxide emissions and establish allowance trading. However, the senator warned against “burying one’s head in the sand” on the climate change issue.
With substantial investments in carbon capture and storage, including $3.4 billion in stimulus-based funding, the administration’s goal is to begin commercial deployment of the technology in 8 to 10 years, Chu said.
This goal is being pursued through several approaches, the DOE chief said. Chu cited funding for three commercial-scale integrated gasification combined cycle plants using first-generation technologies.
Stimulus funds will also support three industrial-scale carbon capture and storage efforts, Chu reported. Meanwhile, a commercial-scale retrofit, FutureGen 2.0, will combine oxycombustion—separating oxygen from air and burning it in a mix with carbon dioxide—and storage.
Chu indicated that DOE plans to test long-term geological storage in a variety of underground storage formations in multiple sites.
The Department also is addressing barriers to CCS deployment, the secretary said. These obstacles include market failures, such as the lack of a price on carbon, the need for a legal/regulatory framework, and the need for clarity regarding long-term liability.
Additionally, public information, education and outreach is essential, Chu emphasized.
Plans also include acceleration of research and development on next-generation technologies. As technology improves, costs are driven down, the secretary suggested.
Industry and government must work together to accelerate innovation, Chu said. The U.S. must remain the world leader on carbon capture and sequestration, he added, “to ensure a clean future for coal and drive our future prosperity.”
Tags: Carbon Capture and Storage, Coal, Energy and Environment