21st Century Challenges

 What is Carbon Capture
 Storage (CCS) ?

 Carbon Capture Storage is a
 technique for trapping carbon
 dioxide as it is emitted from large
 point sources, compressing it into
 a liquid, and transporting it to a 
 suitable storage site where it is
 injected into the ground

Stage 1 Capture - Involves separating CO₂ from other gases in the exhaust stream. At power plants, separation technologies can be used to capture CO₂ after combustion (post-combustion capture) or to decarbonise the fuel before combustion (pre-combustion capture).

Stage 2 Transport - Captured CO₂ is transported to a suitable site for final storage located at a distance from the CO₂ source - usually done by pipeline with CO₂ compressed to a supercritical state (temperature and pressure at which it behaves as both liquid and gas).

Applying CCS to UK power generation (especially coal) was framed as a promising way forward in the 2003 Energy White Paper

The European Commission still have concerns that CO2 captured and stored remains isolated from the atmosphere in the long term. The Commission has proposed a regulatory framework and is examining ways to promote commercialisation of CCS through a network of demonstration plants 

 Energy White Paper 2003

 CCS in Europe - European Commision