Understanding CCS

What is Carbon Capture & Storage and why do we need it?

Carbon Capture & Storage

An essential tool for net zero

Carbon capture and storage involves the processes of capturing carbon dioxide - typically from industrial processes or from burning fossil fuels – and transporting and storing it permanently deep underground in geological formations such as depleted oil and reservoirs.

The technology behind CCS is well-proven and has been around for more than 40 years. It has traditionally been used for enhanced oil recovery (EOR).

Now, CCS is counted as one of the most effective ways to decarbonise, making it a vital technology on the road to global net zero. According to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), as the world transitions to a lower-carbon economy, global temperature changes cannot be kept at bay without capturing and storing CO2.

The European Union will need to establish a carbon storage capacity of 250 million tonnes of CO2 per year by 2040 to achieve the objectives of the Paris Agreement. With global capture volumes currently at 45 mpta (IEA), we are still far from the target. Scaling the industry will require action by governments, investors, and industrial actors.

Momentum around CCS is growing and Greensand is helping accelerate change.

Access these sources to learn more about CCS:

Capture

There are many ways to capture CO2. The most efficient way of capturing CO2 is from a large and stable supply of emissions, typically from industry, energy production, such as biomethane production, or incineration. The CO2 is separated from the smoke then liquified, either by heating, compressing, or cooling.

Transport

The liquid CO2 is loaded into tank containers, specifically designed for transporting refrigerated liquefied gas. These containers are transported from the emission source to the harbour and then shipped to the offshore storage area. Greensand Future uses a quayside intermediate CO2 storage terminal which transfers CO2 onto a dedicated offshore CO2 carrier vessel. In on- or nearshore CCS projects, the CO2 can be transported and stored using pipeline infrastructure.

Offshore storage/sequestration

The CO2 is transferred to an offshore platform. The platform's wells, pipes, and existing infrastructure, typically constructed for oil production, are used to inject the liquid CO2 safely into the underground geological formations.  

Capture

There are many ways to capture CO2. The most efficient way of capturing CO2 is from a large and stable supply of emissions, typically from industry, energy production, such as biomethane production, or incineration. The CO2 is separated from the smoke then liquified, either by heating, compressing, or cooling.

Transport

The liquid CO2 is loaded into tank containers, specifically designed for transporting refrigerated liquefied gas. These containers are transported from the emission source to the harbour and then shipped to the offshore storage area. Greensand Future uses a quayside intermediate CO2 storage terminal which transfers CO2 onto a dedicated offshore CO2 carrier vessel. In on- or nearshore CCS projects, the CO2 can be transported and stored using pipeline infrastructure.

Offshore storage/sequestration

The CO2 is transferred to an offshore platform. The platform's wells, pipes, and existing infrastructure, typically constructed for oil production, are used to inject the liquid CO2 safely into the underground geological formations.  

FAQ

Carbon capture and storage involves the processes of capturing carbon dioxide - typically from industrial processes or from burning fossil fuels – and transporting and storing it permanently deep underground in geological formations such as depleted oil and reservoirs.

CCS is counted as one of the most effective ways to decarbonise, making it a vital technology on the road to global net zero. According to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), as the world transitions to a lower-carbon economy, global temperature changes cannot be kept at bay without capturing and storing CO2.

The technology behind CCS is well-proven and has been around for more than 40 years. It has traditionally been used for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). Studies have shown that CO2 can be safely stored underground in geological formations for thousands and even millions of years.  

 Greensand will be storing CO2 in a suited geological reservoir in the North Sea. The collected Greensand storage facilities in the North Sea (the Siri fairway) are extremely stable reservoirs from a geological perspective. They have retained gas and oil for more than 10 million years, making them a very safe permanent storage site for CO2. The integrity of the reservoir has been tested by the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), and Greensand has received safety approval from DNV-GL. 

 

We need to store as much CO2 as we can – as fast as we can. Right now, biogas production offers high volumes of CO2 that can be more easily captured compared to industrial fossil emission sources. While capture facilities at these sources mature into the needed scale, there is, in Europe alone, an estimated 21 mtpa biogenic CO2 from biogas plants that could be captured and stored rather than emitted. That is why we’re moving ahead now with an outlook to storing both biogenic and fossil CO2 as we develop the project. 

 

Storing CO2 in the subsurface can have an impact on the marine environment in the unlikely case of a leakage. However, the collected Greensand storage facilities in the North Sea (the Siri fairway) are extremely stable reservoirs from a geological perspective. They have retained gas and oil for more than 10 million years, making them a very safe permanent storage site for CO2. The integrity of the reservoir has been tested by the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), and Greensand has received safety approval from DNV-GL. 

It’s not an either-or – we need to do both. According to IPCC, the International Energy Agency and the EU, there is no way to reach net zero emissions without capturing and storing CO2. While industries around the world are transitioning to lower-carbon business models, capturing and storing CO2 will be necessary to abate the emissions that can’t be avoided based on current knowledge and solutions.  

 

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