Bio Energy with Carbon Capture and Storage PDF

Bio Energy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) ENE1001 Renewable Energy Systems 1 Prof Justin Hinshelwood Overview Drax Power Station History Biomass CCS UK Government plans Alternative plans Drax Power Station  Drax History Construction and Early Years (...

Bio Energy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) ENE1001 Renewable Energy Systems 1 Prof Justin Hinshelwood Overview Drax Power Station History Biomass CCS UK Government plans Alternative plans Drax Power Station  Drax History Construction and Early Years (1967-1986): largest coal-fired power station in the UK, 4,000 megawatts (MW) Peak Operation as a Coal Plant (1980s-2000s): ten million tonnes of coal per year iconic cooling towers and massive coal stacks symbolizing the industrial might of Britain’s power generation Environmental Upgrades (2000s): flue-gas desulfurization units to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions Transition to Biomass (2012-2020): four out of six units switched to burning sustainable wood pellets, largest renewable energy plant in the UK. Carbon Capture and Storage Plans (2020-Present): planning to implement Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) technology, 2024 Largest single renewable energy generator 5% of UK electricity generation ~£150 per MWh  Drax Biomass Enterprise Tree growing nursery Working forests Saw mill and pellet plant Ports and logistics Drax Drax History https://www.drax.com/resources/educational-resources/ CCS Potential BECCS Potential to remove 20-70 million tonnes of CO2 per year in the UK by 2050 National Grid’s Net Zero Future Energy Scenarios (FES) Propose the use of BECCS by 2028 UK Climate Change Committee BECCS will be needed to meet 2050 targets 70 billion tonnes of potential CO2 storage space around the UK British Geological Survey Drax could develop two BECCS units by 2030 Potential to deliver 40% of the negative emissions for the UK to reach net zero. Greenhouse Gas Removal Methods … UK Committee on Climate Change  Forests and better forest management Potential advantages Potential disadvantages Costs are relatively low It takes time for trees Potential to store to mature (at least 10 carbon is well known years) and understood Uses land that could Could store significant be used for other amount of carbon activities dioxide Could have a negative impact on biodiversity Infographic from the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering (2018) 2  Peatlands and wetlands Potential Potential advantages disadvantages We know how to Understand less about restore peatlands and the science of storing wetlands carbon in these places A quick way to store for a long time carbon at relatively low Uses land that could cost be used for something Could have other else economic Limited potential: only environmental some areas of the UK benefits are suitable Infographic from the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering (2018) 4  Enhancing the storage of carbon in soil Potential advantages Potential disadvantages Well-understood method that can be Requires changes to modern farming implemented now practices Could have a low cost Farmers may need financial support from Could have other economic and government environmental benefits Could reduce amount of food that can be produced from a given area of land Infographic from the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering (2018) 6  Using wood in construction Potential advantages Potential disadvantages Wood has been used in Requires changes to modern construction for centuries building practices A relatively low cost way to store May mean very tall buildings are not carbon possible Reduces carbon emissions by Scale might be limited by replacing other carbon-intensive availability of sustainable sources materials of wood Infographic from the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering (2018) 8  Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) Potential advantages Potential disadvantages Could capture and store a significant amount of carbon dioxide emissions Likely to have high costs, at least initially Combines technologies that are well understood Uses land that could be used for other activities Lots of storage space in the UK (e.g. oil and gas fields) Need to ensure that carbon dioxide storage is secure 10 Infographic adapted from the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering (2018)  Direct air capture and carbon storage Potential advantages Potential disadvantages Could capture and store a significant Technologies are very new and amount of carbon dioxide emissions experimental Lots of storage space in the UK (e.g. oil Could require a large amount of low and gas fields) carbon electricity A variety of technical options are being Current costs are very high, though developed they could fall as technology improves 15 Infographic adapted from the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering (2018) Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) Combines bioenergy generation with carbon capture to remove CO₂ Developing technology Several pilot projects running worldwide. Drax plans to build the world's largest BECCS Aiming to capture 8 MT of CO₂ annually by 2030 Negative emissions Capturing more CO₂ than is emitted during energy production Issues Policy and Funding Challenges Technological Risks Investment and Market Support Energy Intensive Process Infrastructure Needs Public Perception and Acceptance CCS Before fuel is burnt: Pre-combustion After fuel is burnt: Post combustion Oxyfuel combustion Cost 32% gas plants 65% coal fired plants Precombustion Syngas (H2 +CO) Post combustion Before traveling up smokestacks Waste gasses captured Scrubbed clean of CO2 Passing the gasses through ammonia Blasted with stem to release CO2 Oxyfuel Incomplete Power plants do not produce pure CO2 Incomplete combustion (not enough O2) Other gasses produced Oxyfuel process Combustion enriched with higher levels of O2 Purer steam and CO2 produced Steam removed (condense steam) CO2 stored Transportation Move CO2 to storage site Pipeline? Ship? Storage: Geo Sequestration Pros and Cons Advantages Reduce plant emissions by more than 80% NOxs and SOxs also removed Disadvantages Unproven technology Increase emissions of acid gas pollutants Increase fuel needs of power plants by 25-40% Cost of energy increased by 21-91% High water use  UK Government investment: £22B over 25 years Category Estimated Allocation (£) Industrial Clusters and Pipelines £6-8 billion Power Generation and Operational Subsidies £5-7 billion Direct Air Capture (DAC) £2-3 billion Innovation and Technology Development £2-4 billion Private Sector Support and Co-Investment £3-5 billion Monitoring and Long-Term Maintenance £1 billion International Collaboration £0.5-1 billion CCS Credentials Track record of overpromising and underdelivering Current CCS capacity: 80% of the CO₂ captured is reinjected into oil fields to facilitate oil extraction Only 2 commercial-scale coal plants operate with CCS: Boundary Dam in Canada and Petra Nova in the US recurring technical issues and ballooning costs Britain has closed down its last coal power plant Harder to capture CO₂ from gas power plants than from coal Blue hydrogen projects (gas->H2) abandoned  Alternative Allocation Category Estimated Allocation (£) Renewable Energy Expansion £8-10 billion Hydrogen Production and Infrastructure £5-7 billion Industry Electrification and Efficiency £3-4 billion Natural Climate Solutions £3 billion Building Decarbonization £2-3 billion R&D in Low-Carbon Technology £2-3 billion Sustainable Transport and Urban Design £2 billion Education and Behavioral Change £0.5-1 billion  Alternative Allocation Accelerate Renewable Energy Expansion £8-10 billion Energy Efficiency and Decarbonization in Buildings £2-3 billion Solar and offshore wind: most cost-effective and scalable generation Retrofit Program for Residential and Commercial Buildings Battery storage technology: reduce the need for gas generation Building Standards and Low-Carbon Materials Modernise the grid to support decentralized generation Research and Development in Emissions-Free Technologies £2-3 billion Boost Hydrogen Production and Infrastructure £5-7 billion Innovation in Low-Carbon Technologies Green Hydrogen Production: fuel for heavy industry, transport, heating Circular Economy and Recycling Technologies Electrification and Energy Efficiency in Industry £3-4 billion Clean Public Transport and Sustainable Urban Design £2 billion Electrification in industrial processes Public Transport Electrification Industrial Heat Pump Systems Energy Efficiency Upgrades manufacturing, Cycling and Pedestrian Infrastructure Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Carbon Sequestration through Natural Climate Solutions £3 billion Reforestation and Afforestation Behavioural Change and Education Programs £0.5-1 billion Peatland and Wetland Restoration Public Awareness Campaigns Soil Carbon Sequestration Incentives for Sustainable Lifestyles Review Drax Power Station History Biomass CCS UK Government plans Alternative plans