India Environment Portal Knowledge for change

Carbonated future

• 14/05/2008
• Down To Earth

Unable to cut down on its coal usage, it seems that the West is looking to burry its co₂ emissions underground. The British government, for example, has become zealous about the carbon capture and storage (ccs) technology. Its high commission in Delhi has already organized two workshops on the technology this year.

The point of ccs is to continue making co₂ but capture it, convert it into liquid by pressurizing, transport it over great distances, often across countries, and then inject it under pressure into the ground (see box: A gas that will live underground). Aspects of the technology have been around for almost 60 years. For example, drinks are made fizzy by capturing carbon. But experts say that as an integrated technology, ccs is costly and fraught with risks.

The British government, however, holds up the technology as the key to energy security. At the first workshop in January, the uk's High Commissioner, Richard Stagg highlighted that ccs could reduce emissions while enabling the use of coal for development. "The uk has become the first country to support ccs on a commercial scale. We are keen to share our experiences with India,' he said. At the second workshop in April, uk- based consultants Mott MacDonald released two studies on the financial aspects of ultra mega power plants (umpps) in the country, one of which recommends that new power stations in the country be equipped to use ccs at a later stage. At least nine umpps, each with a capacity of 4,000 mw are being planned for the country.

Debbbie Stockwell, spokesperson of the uk's department of environment, food and rural affairs says that the Clean Development Mechanism (cdm) could mitigate the high capital costs of ccs. cdm is a tool under the Kyoto Protocol which allows developed countries to avoid the expense of cutting their emissions by paying developing countries for the technology to do the same

• Tags:
  • Climate Change
  • Kyoto Protocol
  • Climate Mitigation
  • Coal
  • Carbon Capture and Storage
  • Carbon Sequestration
  • Thermal Power Plants
  • Power Industry
  • India

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