Carbon Capture Technology, It's Methods and Examples

What is Carbon Capture Technology?

Carbon Capture is a way of reducing carbon emissions, which could be key to helping to tackle global warming. CCS involves the capture of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from industrial processes, such as steel and cement production, or from the burning of fossil fuels in power generation. This carbon is then transported from where it was produced, via ship or in a pipeline, and stored deep underground in geological formations. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology is a form of carbon sequestration.

How does carbon capture technology work?

CCS takes two basic forms:

Biological carbon capture and storage: when the natural environment – such as forests and oceans – sequesters CO2 from the atmosphere.

Artificial / Geological carbon capture and storage: when CO2 as an emission is extracted from human-made processes and is stored in vast underground facilities.

Methods off carbon capture technology in Pakistan

They fall into two categories: post-combustion carbon capture (the primary method used in existing power plants), pre-combustion carbon capture (largely used in industrial processes).

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is an important emissions reduction technology that can be applied across the energy system. CO2 can be captured from sources such as coal-fired power plants or cement plants and recycled or transported to a storage site and injected underground so that it is not released into the atmosphere. The application of this technology is considered essential in the global energy transition in support of decarbonization.

Pre-Combustion Carbon Capture

What is pre-combustion carbon capture? Pre-combustion carbon capture allows the removal of CO2 from a gas mixture before combustion takes place. Operators typically apply this carbon capture in integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plants.

The working principle includes partially oxidizing coal in oxygen/air and steam under high temperature and pressure to produce synthetic gas (or syngas). Being a mixture of carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen, and smaller portions of other gaseous components, such as methane (CH4), syngas can undergo the water-gas shift reaction to produce a gaseous mixture significantly comprising H2 and CO2. The concentration of CO2 in this mixture ranges from 15% to 50%. Operators capture, transport, and sequester the CO2 in the mix, leaving an H2-rich fuel for combustion.

Post Combustion Carbon Capture

Post-combustion capture removes CO2 from flue gas streams after combustion at low pressure. This carbon capture technology is the widely preferred option for retrofitting existing power plants and has been proven to recover CO2 at a rate up to 800 tons/day. Post-combustion capture significantly elevates the energy penalty and transportation and storage costs due to the low concentration of CO2 in flue gas, ranging from 7 to 14% in cold-fired plants and less than 4% in gas-fired plants. Moreover, the technology exhibits an estimated 70% higher electrical energy production cost due to inefficiencies. Nonetheless, operators are still implementing this carbon technology in their power plant projects.

Examples of companies working on carbon capture:

1.      ModulusTech

ModulusTech effectively tackles the enormous need for adequate and affordable housing. Their goal is to provide housing to all with a one-stop, flat-packed, portable house.

Tackling the climate crisis head-on, ModulusTech promotes environmental impact by offering housing with net zero-energy consumption and reduced CO2 emissions. While also creating social impact by addressing the global housing crisis – ModulusTech has all its bases covered!

2.      Net Zero Pakistan?

Net Zero Pakistan is a national collaboration between pioneering companies, public institutions, and sectoral experts to deliver the goal of net zero carbon for Pakistan by 2050. The coalition will establish the roadmap and framework through which Pakistan’s private sector can accelerate its sustainability transition and deliver this net zero goal.