IEA: U.S. CO2 Sequestration Program Will Significantly Advance Carbon Capture, Storage

June 11, 2008 // Published as a news service by IHS

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A panel of scientific experts from the International Energy Agency (IEA) has validated that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships (RCSP) and their large-scale CO2 tests are the world's most ambitious and will significantly advance carbon capture and storage (CCS) in the U.S., Canada and internationally.

The IEA found that the seven RCSPs are unique in that no other country or region has initiated such an ambitious CCS effort.

According to IEA, the panel's findings are important since the partnerships, comprised of 41 U.S. states and four Canadian provinces, have entered the stage (phase three) where they are focusing on large-scale tests involving a million tons or more of CO2 injected annually.

The IEA findings indicate that:

• The projects are realistic, achievable and should be implemented immediately to benefit national and international governmental organizations that will be responsible for establishing CCS projects.
• The projects are comprehensive and comprise a major research initiative.
• No other country or region is undertaking such an ambitious program.
• Phase three is an excellent program that will achieve major results for the U.S., Canada and the world.

The RCSPs were launched by DOE in 2003 and form the centerpiece of national efforts to develop the infrastructure and knowledge base needed to place carbon sequestration technologies on the path to commercialization.

DOE hopes to help develop the technology, infrastructure and regulations to implement large-scale CO2 sequestration in different regions and geologic formations within the U.S. and Canada.

The regional partnerships work with local organizations and citizens who contribute expertise, experience and perspectives that more accurately represent the concerns and desires of a given region, thereby resulting in the development and application of technologies better suited to that region.

The seven RCSPs represent regions encompassing 97% of coal-fired CO2 emissions, 97% of industrial CO2 emissions, 96% of the total land mass and essentially all the geologic sequestration sites in the U.S. potentially available for carbon storage, said DOE.

During the first phase of the program, the partnerships characterized the potential for CO2 storage in deep oil, gas, coal and saline-bearing formations. In the program's second phase, the partnerships implemented a portfolio of small-scale geologic sequestration projects. The purpose of these tests was to validate that different geologic formations have the injectivity, containment and storage effectiveness needed for long-term sequestration.

In phase three, the RCSPs are working to implement seven large-scale sequestration projects that will demonstrate the long-term, effective and safe storage of CO2 in the major geologic formations throughout the U.S. and portions of Canada. This is a continuation of the 25 small-scale geologic storage tests that the partnerships are currently implementing. The locations of the large scale projects represent the major geologic basins throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Before undertaking phase three, DOE asked IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Program to assess both the partnerships and phase three. The IEA was approached because of their extensive experience and evaluation of CO2 injection projects worldwide and experience in numerous independent technical reviews on behalf of member organizations.

Including the partnerships, the DOE Carbon Sequestration Program has invested more than $480 million in CO2 since 1997. The current budget request is for an additional $149 million for FY 2009.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy.