November 20, 2023 | Does Carbon Capture Create a More Sustainable Future?

The prompt for this final essay is as follows:

"Pick a topic of particular interest from the course. The topic could be your "what I want to talk about" topic or any other topic we discussed as part of the course. Many topics will suggest a course of action, for example if the topic is hydrogen as a fuel, a conclusion could be"the US should build the infrastructure for a hydrogen economy." For your topic, write a position paper."

Does Carbon Capture Create a More Sustainable Future?

$12,000,000,000. In 2021, this is the amount that the United States Government plans to provide through 2026 to Carbon Capture and Utilization projects around the US. Carbon Capture and Storage, or CCS, is the process of trapping carbon dioxide and separating it from processes to store it in ways that will not affect the atmosphere. This carbon can be utilized across many sectors including construction, transportation, and chemical industries, called Carbon Capture and Utilization or CCU, which can greatly reduce global carbon emissions. There are currently 26 commercial-scale carbon capture projects operating around the world with more under construction. With the continued expansion of these projects, up to 14% of global greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced by 2050 with CCS (C2ES 2023). However, understanding the lasting effects of CCS and CCU requires a balance between cost and efficiency, environmental effects, and government subsidies through CCS and CCU.

CCS and CCU significantly reduce global carbon emissions, but these processes are known for having high costs, being energy intensive, and having limited scale. The levelized cost of CO2 capture differs based on industry, type of carbon capture, and other factors. On the low end, high CO2 concentrations range from 13-80 USD/metric ton of CO2 captured and on the higher end, low CO2 concentrations range from 40-342 USD/metric ton of CO2 captured. The costs increase when considering transport and storage of CO2, costing up to 55 USD/metric ton. CCU is also pricier than the conventional methods that are used today, with carbon capture methods raising overall costs 10%-115% (IEA 2021). CCS and CCU also use high amounts of energy, with some sources stating that “it is an exercise in futility” in some cases like Direct-Air-Capture systems (Collins 2021). CCS and CCU’s limited scale makes it much harder to apply these processes where it can make a significant impact to protect the air and environment.

The environmental effects of CCS and CCU are complex and have not been seen on a long-term scale. CCS and CCU are proven to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, but there are adverse effects on the environment outside of CO2 levels that should be considered. CCS and CCU disrupt the environment not only during construction of the facilities, but also during construction of transportation pipelines to connect facilities. This expansion is invasive and expensive, disrupting the environment and citizens in the affected areas (Veloso 2023). CCS and CCU also use energy in their existence. This energy often comes from sources of fossil fuels or natural gas, which can offset the real impact of these systems. CCS and CCU also seem to be a band aid for fossil fuel and natural gas industries to continue producing as usual with a carbon-forward outlook, which may be minuscule when compared to the amounts that are being produced. With the continued use of fossil fuels and no forward-looking shift to renewables, this could be especially dangerous for the world when dealing with giant oil companies.

A quick Google search reveals that many companies utilize carbon capture and tell their story through sponsored ads, including Chevron, ExxonMobil, EY, and AspenTech. These companies use carbon capture systems to reduce their carbon emissions and use CCS and CCU to help advertise their commitment to sustainability. However, digging deeper might reveal a deeper story. Chevron produced 672 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2021, but only captured less than 1 million metric tons (this number also includes carbon sold to third parties) (Tiseo 2023, Chevron 2021). Chevron recently constructed a CCS project in Australia that is designed to capture 4 million tons of CO2 annually, but only captured 2.1 million tons in 2023 with no additional plans to reach their goal (Paul 2022). In addition, the US government is pushing CCS and CCU systems in the form of subsidies. The amount of these subsidies ranges from 60-180 USD per ton of carbon dioxide that is stored or utilized (IEA 2023). With the outward appearance of commitment to carbon capture technologies, as well as having lower costs to do so, this could enable companies to tell half-truths about CCS and CCU.

CCS and CCU reduce carbon emissions on a global level but will need careful planning and development to continue as a positive industry. To strike the balance between reducing CO2 emissions for a healthier environment and creating profits for governments and companies, there will need to be a shift in mindset. CCS and CCU are high in cost and energy intense, resulting in a less appealing outlook for personal gain with these processes. However, government subsidies make these processes more appealing for generating more revenue and for advertising purposes. While CCS and CCU reduce carbon emissions, it is important to consider the complete environmental impact, not just the numbers showing the reduction in carbon emissions. CCS and CCU are processes to shift to cleaner energy and processes today, but greater shifts toward renewables are needed to strike the correct balance.

References

Collins, Leigh. “‘The Amount of Energy Required by Direct Air Carbon Capture Proves It Is an Exercise in Futility.’” Recharge, 14 Sept. 2021, www.rechargenews.com/energy-transition/the-amount-of-energy-required-by-direct-air-carbon-capture-proves-it-is-an-exercise-in-futility/2-1-1067588.

Chevron. 2021 Performance Data - Chevron, www.chevron.com/-/media/shared-media/documents/2021-sustainabilty-performance-data.pdf. Accessed 20 Nov. 2023.

C2ES. “Carbon Capture.” Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, 30 Aug. 2023, www.c2es.org/content/carbon-capture/.

IEA. “Inflation Reduction Act 2022: SEC. 13104 Extension and Modification of Credit for Carbon Oxide Sequestration – Policies.” IEA, www.iea.org/policies/16255-inflation-reduction-act-2022-sec-13104-extension-and-modification-of-credit-for-carbon-oxide-sequestration. Accessed 20 Nov. 2023.

IEA. “Is Carbon Capture Too Expensive? – Analysis.” IEA, www.iea.org/commentaries/is-carbon-capture-too-expensive. Accessed 20 Nov. 2023.

Veloso, Cristiano. “The Pros and Cons of Carbon Capture and Storage.” Verde AgriTech - Blog (English), 4 Oct. 2023, blog.verde.ag/en/carbon-capture-and-storage-pros-cons/.

Paul, Sonali. “Chevron Says World’s Largest Carbon Capture Project Has ‘a Ways to Go’ to Meet Goals.” Reuters, Thomson Reuters, 16 May 2022, www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/chevron-says-worlds-largest-carbon-capture-project-has-a-ways-go-meet-goals-2022-05-16/.

Tiseo, Ian. “Chevron GHG Emissions Worldwide 2021.” Statista, 6 Feb. 2023, www.statista.com/statistics/1245434/ghg-emissions-from-chevron-globally/.