STORING EMISSIONS: STILL THE HOPE, STILL EXPERIMENTAL

To fulfill the promise of “clean” coal, 2 very challenging things must be done: (1) The greenhouse gas (GhG) emissions generated from burning coal must be captured and (2) they must be safely and permanently stored. The first is a challenge for engineers. The second is a question for geologists.

Len Peters, secretary-designate, pending Kentucky energy cabinet: "It is a promising strategy…if we said we were going to use carbon sequestration tomorrow … that's not going to happen. There is a lot of work to be done."

As to (1), no proven large-scale method of removing GhGs from the coal-burning power-generation process yet exists that does not add prohibitively high costs.

A journalist discussed the challenge of sequestration with attendees at the 48th annual gathering of the Kentucky Geological Survey.

First observation: Geologists like the idea. Rick Bowersox, head, Western Kentucky sequestration project: "Put it back where it came from…"

They also understand the promise. Bowersox: "All three presidential candidates have been talking about climate change…[Sequestration] will be one of the key strategies."

Because of the state’s abundant coal resources, Kentucky’s business and political leaders have been impressively proactive. Dwight Peters, U.S. business manager, Schlumberger Carbon Services: "Kentucky realizes this is important and actually puts 5 million of their own dollars into this…I mean, that's very progressive. Most states are letting the DOE (U.S. Department of Energy) fund the progress."

A 1000-megawatt coal plant generates 17,000 tons (150,000 barrels) of CO2/day. The key question in geologic storage is whether that kind of volume of acidic gases can be safely and permanently stored in underground formations without eventual leaching into groundwater or other escape routes.

The bottom line is that nobody yet knows and it is therefore irresponsible of political leaders to promise "capture-and-sequestration" as an answer to the very serious challenges of global climate change.

For this and other reasons, “clean” coal remains an oxymoron. The only proven solution for climate change is still New Energy.

The basic idea of sequestration. (click to enlarge)

Geologists ponder storing carbon; Effort could help curb greenhouse gases
Bill Wolfe, May 24, 2008 (Louisville Courier-Journal)

WHO
Geologists attending the Kentucky Geological Survey annual gathering (Jim Cobb, Survey director/state geologist; Rick Bowersox, head, Western Kentucky sequestration pilot project; Dwight Peters, U.S. business manager, Schlumberger Carbon Services; Rodney Andrews, director, University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research)

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WHAT
Geologists commented on state-of-the-art greenhouse gas emissions sequestration efforts.

WHEN
- In 2007, the Kentucky General Assembly allotted $5 million for sequestration research .
- A Hancock County 1.5-mile deep test sequestration well will be drilled later in 2008.

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WHERE
- The Kentucky Geological Survey meeting was in Lexington, KY.
- The most likely place GhG emissions could be safely stored would be deep underground in saltwater deposits or other geologic formations.
The test well, 8,250 feet beneath Hancock County, will examine the possibility of geologic sequestration.
- Less deep test sites are proposed for Eastern Kentucky.

WHY
- The abundance of coal, especially in potentially dominant emerging economies like China and India, makes the dream using it without contributing to global climate change extremely seductive.
- The $5 million Kentucky General Assembly funding is focused on sequestration in flagging oil and gas wells, a technique for both getting rid of coal plant emissions and increasing well production called Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR).
- Federal and private grants add $1 million to the sequestration project funding.

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QUOTES
Jim Cobb, Survey director/state geologist: "That $5 million grant is one of the largest we've ever received in KGS history…We're just in the beginning stages of the research…"