CCSP Carbon Capture and Storage Program: Mid-term report 2011-2013

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is considered to be one of the main options for reducing global CO2 emissions. However, the development of CCS technology faces many challenges. CO2 capture is still very energy intensive and development is needed to bring costs down. Also, CO2 needs to be transported to a suitable storage site for secure and permanent storage. Although CCS technology has not yet been implemented at a full-scale power plant, several demonstration projects are underway in the world. The report gives an overview of the work carried out in the Carbon Capture and Storage Program (CCSP) R&D program during 2011-2013. The R&D program is coordinated by CLEEN Ltd. with funding from Tekes - the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation. The objective for CCSP is to develop CCS-related technologies and concepts, leading to essential pilots and demonstrations by the end of the program. A further objective is to create a strong scientific basis for the development of CCS technology, concepts and frameworks, and to establish active, international CCS co-operation. The program consortium consists of 9 research organisations and 17 industrial partners, with an annual budget of about 3 million euro per year. For Finland, CCS offers significant opportunities, which are being investigated and developed in CCSP. Being a large consumer of power and heat, Finland has a unique opportunity in integrating CCS with combined heat and power (CHP) plants. As Finland is a large consumer of biomass, adding CCS to bioenergy solutions (bio-CCS) would enable removal of CO2 from the atmosphere. For heavy industry, such as oil refining and steel manufacturing, CCS is the only technology that can significantly reduce CO2 emissions. For the Finnish technology developers and providers CCS could provide a significant market share in the future, such as in the area of oxy-fuel combustion and chemical looping combustion, which are being further developed in CCSP. Monitoring technologies is another quickly developing area where a growing Finnish expertise can help making CCS a safe and secure emission reduction and improve the social acceptance of CCS. As the Finnish bedrock does not have any formations suitable for underground storage of CO2, other options are being investigated. A recent survey of the Baltic Sea area shows a potential for geological storage of CO2. Several options for using CO2 as a raw material for production of inorganic carbonates, chemicals and fuel components also show promise.