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What Is Carbon Capture I Process I Pros I Cons

What is carbon capture?

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) capture is the placement of CO2 into a repository in such a way that it will remain stored and not release to the atmosphere. Efforts to store CO2, often referred to as carbon sequestration, are focused on two categories of repositories: geologic formations and terrestrial ecosystems. In fact, geological sequestration is likely to be the only option that will allow us to remove CO2 in large enough quantities over short enough times to make a difference.

Carbon Capture Process

• Storing CO2 is when collected CO2 is injected into the Earth in places such as oil and gas fields or coal mines that have already been mined.
• Over 1,000 gigatons of CO2 has been released into the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution in the mid-1700s.
• Capturing CO2 is separating CO2 from gaseous emissions produced by industrial facilities then compressing it.

Pros

• Reduction of CO2 emissions, reducing air pollution from power plants and vehicles, and thus improving health issues.
• When CO2 is stored in oil fields, it increases volume and changes factors within the field that as a result allow drillers to get more out of the field.
• CCS can account for 15%-55% of reduction of emissions gases by the year 2100

Cons

• Whether CO2 can be stored permanently in the Earth/oceans or not is a concern. Long term performances of storage formations are not known; CCS has not been completed long enough (only since 1997) to know if seals and formations can last for tens of thousands of years.
• Storing CO2 can slow down our use of renewable energy resources, gaining a dependence on fossil fuels, which come with pollution, health hazards, and oil spills.
• Though not a large chance, CO2 can leak through soil gradually or suddenly through pipeline damages, affecting all living things and bringing health hazards.
• If CO2 were to be stored in oceans by Ocean Sequestration, it is unknown if deep sea life including plants and animals would be affected by it, and if it may be considered dumping of wastes at sea.