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Technology Collaboration Programme by IEA

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Discover the latest advances carbon capture and storage research

Technical Report

Fault Permeability

  • 1 October 2016
  • Storage

The present review adds to an earlier report (IEAGHG, 2015a) by using the published literature to examine how fault permeability is modified by fault zone and host rock properties and <em>in situ</em> stresses of anthropogenic or geological origins. The primary goal of the report is to use publically available literature to examine when, where and how faults may negatively or positively impact the storage and migration of injected CO<sub>2</sub>. In particular, four key tasks have been undertaken and are outlined below. TASK 1 - Provide a brief summary of the key parameters that influence the mechanical and hydraulic properties of fault zones including a summary of CO<sub>2</sub> flow data along faults at natural seeps. TASK 2 - Review current oil industry practices that are used to assess and control the unwanted migration of hydrocarbons along faults. Use the experience of different industry/academic teams to assess and model fault leakage from potential CO<sub>2</sub> storage sites. TASK 3 - Review the approaches used by other industries (e.g. waste disposal, hydrocarbons, civil engineering) to assess the properties, permeabilities, and leakage thresholds of faults and examine how these approaches might be useful for CO<sub>2 </sub>storage sites. TASK 4 - Identify the knowledge gaps in current understanding of fluid migration along faults. Identify the challenges in modelling fault permeability, and monitoring fluid migration (including CO<sub>2</sub>), along and across faults. Recommend the direction of future research and development that is directly related to a better understanding of fault permeability. The principal objective of this report is to provide a review and synthesis of international research and current understanding of fault permeability, with emphasis on how it could influence (positively or negatively) CO<sub>2</sub> storage. To address this principal aim and the four key tasks outlined above, the report contains 10 main sections. These main sections are summarized below.

Technical Review

National Storage CO₂ Assessment Guidance

  • 1 October 2016
  • Storage

This guide provides information on where to find the material required to undertake initial national scale storage assessments. It is designed to help government bodies and policy makers with limited prior carbon capture and storage (CCS) experience find information regarding the methodology of conducting an assessment. A nationwide storage estimate is fundamental to progress CCS as a climate mitigation technology as it will determine how suitable the regional geology is for CO₂ storage and provide an initial indication of capacity.

Technical Report

PCC Process Control

  • 1 September 2016
  • Capture

The study focuses on performing an evaluation of process control strategies for normal, flexible and upset operation conditions of CO<sub>2</sub> post-combustion capture (PCC) processes based on solvent scrubbing. PCC is currently the leading near-term technology for large-scale deployment of CO<sub>2</sub> capture in the power generation sector.

Technical Report

4th CCS Cost Network Meeting

  • 1 August 2016
  • Costs of CCUS
  • Event Proceedings

The purpose of the workshop is to share and discuss the most currently available information on the cost of carbon capture and storage (CCS) in electric utility and other industrial applications, as well as the current outlook for future CCS costs and deployment. The workshop also seeks to identify key issues or topics related to CCS costs that merit further discussion and study.

Technical Report

RMNER Network Meeting

  • 1 June 2016
  • Event Proceedings
  • Storage

The three day meeting included themes on risk assessment methodologies, risk communication and mitigation strategies as well as environmental research. There was an emphasis on potential impacts of CO<sub>2</sub> in marine environments, natural variability and the unscheduled release of CO<sub>2</sub> from pipelines. Coverage also included formation fluid release, overburden features, international initiatives and environmental impact assessments notably the Peterhead – Goldeneye project. 

Technical Report

Can CO₂ Capture and Storage Unlock 'Unburnable Carbon'?

  • 1 May 2016
  • Capture
  • Storage

This study has undertaken an initial assessment on the relevance of CCS in terms of the unburnable carbon issues. This consisted of the following tasks: <ol> <!-- wp:list-item --><!-- wp:list-item --><li>Undertake a comprehensive literature review to identify and assess those studies done to date which are relevant to, include or comment upon the role of CCS in the issues of unburnable carbon.</li><!-- /wp:list-item --><!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --><!-- wp:list-item --><li>Assess the assumptions, methodologies, any contentious subjects, and understand differences in these studies.</li><!-- /wp:list-item --><!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --><!-- wp:list-item --><li>Identify and assess sources of information on the global potential for CCS deployment, including storage potential.</li><!-- /wp:list-item --><!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --><!-- wp:list-item --><li>Potential issues that would contribute to better understanding and assessment of this topic (which are of a technical nature and thus IEAGHG could address), will be identified and recommendations made for further work, including whether any work is necessary relating to global storage capacity and CCS global potential.</li><!-- /wp:list-item --><!-- /wp:list-item --> </ol>

Technical Review

International Workshop on Offshore Geological CO₂ Storage

  • 1 May 2016
  • Event Proceedings
  • Storage

The aims of the workshop were to undertake a global needs assessment for offshore geological CO₂ storage, to initiate a discussion about the various aspects of offshore transport and storage, and to build an international community of parties interested in offshore storage. This was achieved by bringing together those who are doing offshore CCS to share knowledge with those who are interested in doing, and by facilitating countries to identify their specific issues, challenges, opportunities, and then to identify synergies, common gaps and goals, and define common action items.

Technical Review

Review of GHG Accounting Rules for CCS

  • 1 May 2016
  • Policy & Regulation

This report aims to provide a comparative review of how current rules for compiling and reporting inventories of GHG emissions and removals, and for MRV of GHG emissions and removals (hereafter collectively termed “GHG accounting rules”) apply to CCS activities worldwide. These include international, regional and national approaches employed under policies and measures such as mandatory GHG emissions reporting, carbon taxes and emission trading schemes (ETS). The report will identify any significant differences between accounting protocols for CCS, the reasons for differences, and any issues that might arise from their differences. It will identify issues, gaps and potential barriers emerging from the review and possible measures that could be taken to support CCS deployment.

Technical Review

Review of Project Permits Under the London Protocol - As Assessment of the Proposed P18-4 CO₂ Storage Sites

  • 1 May 2016
  • Policy & Regulation
  • Storage

The London Convention and Protocol is one of the first global agreements to protect the marine environment. The Protocol promotes the protection of the marine environment by prohibiting the dumping of wastes and other matter into the sea. Under the Protocol all dumping is prohibited, with the exception of a limited number of selected wastes. In 2007, an amendment entered into force which permitted CO₂ streams to be considered for dumping under the London Protocol. The amendment was shortly followed up with a set of “Specific Guidelines for Assessment of Carbon Dioxide Streams for Disposal into Sub-seabed Geological Formations”, developed to support the National Authorities of Contracting Parties in evaluating permit applications for CO₂ disposal activities in their marine territories. As few offshore CO₂ storage sites have been permitted in the territories of Contracting Parties, there is no evidence of the application of the above mentioned guidelines to actual permitting processes. The P18-4 field is a near-depleted gas field at a depth of 3.5 km under the seabed, located approximately 20 km off the Dutch coast in the North Sea. The operator of the gas field applied for a CO₂ storage permit to the Dutch authorities in 2011, for the storage of a maximum of 8 Mton CO₂. An irrevocable storage permit for P18-4 was provided to the operator in September 2013, however the project has been postponed indefinitely due to economic constraints. The objective of this report is to assess to what extent the proposed P18-4 storage site, originally part of the ROAD CCS Project, complies with the London Protocol’s 2012 Specific Guidelines for Assessment of Carbon Dioxide Streams for Disposal into Sub-seabed Geological Formations, and therefore the 1996 London Protocol itself. The assessment has been achieved through a simple, but systematic, cross-check of the requirements of the Specific Guidelines against the contents of the application material provided by the operator to the National Authority. This involves the appraisal of approximately 1100 pages of submitted material in order to identify evidence of compliance

Technical Report

CO₂ impurities

  • 1 April 2016
  • Industry Insights

The main objectives of the report are to: Review the CO₂ impurities that could be present from different CO₂ capture technologies and develop twelve CO₂ impurity scenario compositions for further analysis; Evaluate these impurity scenarios for CO₂ physical and transport properties. The properties that are investigated are the dew point, bubble point, melting point, density, Joule-Thomson coefficients, speed of sound, viscosity and thermal conductivity. Evaluate the effects of the impurities on CO₂ compression and liquefaction in terms of performance and energy requirements; Identify the effects of the impurities on the operating conditions for both pipeline and ship based transportation; Evaluate the effect of the impurities on the selection of materials for pipeline and ship transportation.

Technical Report

Summary of IEAGHG/CSLF Workshop on LCA in CCUS London 12-13 November 2015

  • 1 March 2016
  • Event Proceedings

A workshop on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) was held in London, UK, 12<sup>th</sup> and 13<sup>th</sup> November 2015, hosted by IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme (IEAGHG) and the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum (CSLF). The workshop built on the IEAGHG report 2010/TR2 and review work by the CSLF. The workshop looked at the state-of-the art of LCA for CCUS in terms of goals and scope definition, inventory analysis, impact assessment and interpretation as well as social LCA and Life Cycle Costing (LCC).

Technical Report

Operational Flexibility of CO₂ Transport and Storage

  • 1 March 2016
  • Storage
  • Transport

This study has reviewed different transport and storage scenarios to reflect the range of full-scale commercial operations. In addition to a wide ranging literature review a survey of industrial, utility, pipeline and CO<sub>2</sub>-EOR operators was also conducted to obtain their insights of CO<sub>2</sub> transport and storage. Owing to the sensitivity of these commercial operations it has not been possible to attribute background information to either individuals or their companies. Anonymity has not prevented the inclusion of real world data on exhaust gas composition from different sources including power generation (coal and natural gas), oil refining, gas processing, cement, hydrogen production, and ethanol production. It also includes background information on actual CO<sub>2</sub> pipeline operation, including network hubs, and CO<sub>2</sub> CO<sub>2</sub>-EOR experience in the United States. Experience from different industrial scale injection projects such as Sleipner, Snøhvit and In Salah, has been included. The study has investigated how flexible operation affects CO<sub>2</sub> storage and the measures adopted to accommodate intermittent supply. There are a series of prioritized recommendations based on the gaps in knowledge.

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