Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is an innovative approach to the ongoing battle against climate change. Though the sector isn’t going to solve all the current and future global concerns relating to climate change, it holds the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and curb the effects of global warming.
As the world continues to seek ways to transition to a low-carbon future, understanding the concept and implications of CCS is crucial.
What is Carbon Capture and Storage?
Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is a technique designed to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from industrial processes, such as power plants and factories, and then securely store them underground, preventing their release into the atmosphere.
It works like a vacuum cleaner for CO2 emissions, capturing them before they escape into the atmosphere. Once captured, the CO2 is carefully stored deep underground in particular spaces, so it can’t contribute to climate change. CCS can play a vital role in fighting global warming by allowing industries to keep working while also preventing a significant amount of CO2 from reaching the air.
CCS is two very distinct activities that both require a depth of experience and know how. To make the process as affordable and as efficient as possible KC8 believe that we need to specialise in one of the areas, for us it is carbon capture.
Common Methods of CCS
The concept of CCS has been explored for decades, but the technology started gaining significant attention and testing in the early 2000s. The broader testing and development of CCS as a viable solution to mitigate climate change started around the early to mid-2000s, driven by increasing concerns about carbon emissions and their impact on the environment.
Some common and traditional methods of CCS include,
– Post-Combustion Capture: This method involves capturing carbon dioxide from the exhaust gases of power plants and industrial facilities after the fuel has been burned. Chemical solvents or absorbents are used to separate CO2 from other gases.
– Pre-Combustion Capture: In this approach, carbon dioxide is captured before the fuel is burned. This is commonly used in processes like gasification, where the fuel is converted into a mixture of gases before combustion. The CO2 is separated from these gases before they are burned for energy.
KC8’s Innovative CCS Technology
The KC8 technology has been developed over the last two decades to address the key issues faced within previous CCS technologies. It is a catalytically enhanced precipitating solvent technology
engineered to capture up to 95 per cent of CO2 emissions from heavy industry sources such as cement plants, power stations (pre-and post-combustion) and other large CO2 emitting industries.
Our capture process utilises potassium carbonate solvents, a naturally occurring material that is readily available in all countries around the world. It is lower cost than other CCS technology on the market, it’s using less energy and has a low environmental impact.
Working Together for a Greener Future
The goal of CCS technology is to significantly reduce global greenhouse gas emissions to meet emission reduction targets and mitigate the long-term impact of climate change. Net Zero won’t be achieved by one standalone industry or technology, there needs to be a holistic approach that covers all global CO2 emitters.
CCS has the potential to play a vital role for industries that are challenging to decarbonise, such as cement or steel production, to continue operating while minimising their carbon footprint.
