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- General CCS
- Capture
- Storage
- Otway Project
A simplified overview of the geosequestration process
Capture, compression, transport, injection, storage, monitoring and community engagement are essential aspects of CCS.
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CCS facilities
A range of sources and storage sites provide flexible CCS opportunities.
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Low emissions hub
Opportunities to reuse and store carbon dioxide with common pipelines connecting sources could reduce the cost of CCS.
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Carbon dioxide exchange
Carbon dioxide is exchanged between the earth and the atmosphere.
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Coal fired power plant
Coal fired power plants are responsible for a significant amount of carbon dioxide emissions.
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Steam turbine
High pressure superheated steam from a coal-fired furnace drives the steam turbines that produce electricity.
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Gas turbine
Expansion of gas in the combustion chamber drives the turbines to produce electricity.
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Photosynthesis
Plants convert carbon dioxide into carbohydrates and oxygen during photosynthesis.
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Representation of the greenhouse effect
Solar energy reflected from the earth's surface is trapped and re-radiated by greenhouse gases.
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Carbon cycle
Carbon dioxide is part of a long term geological cycle.
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Map of the Otway International Test Centre (OITC)
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Solvent absorption
Flue gases pass through a solvent that preferentially absorbs carbon dioxide.
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Membrane separation
Carbon dioxide passes through the membrane more easily than other gases.
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Membrane contactor process
Carbon dioxide diffuses through a membrane and is absorbed by the solvent.
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Low temperature separation
The gas is cooled and only carbon dioxide condenses. The rest of the gas is vented to the atmosphere.
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Low temperature hydrate separation
Chilled water is passed through the flue gas. Water and carbon dioxide form hydrates.
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Adsorption
Adsorbents preferentially attract molecules of carbon dioxide to their surface. A change in pressure or temperature releases the carbon dioxide.
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Capture opportunities
In natural gas processing, CO2 is separated in the gas sweetening stage.
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Capture opportunities
Carbon dioxide is produced in the manufacture of ammonia from natural gas or other fossil fuels. It is separated as part of the process, so it is ready for compression and transport to storage.
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Capture opportunities
The process of making iron and steel creates CO2 emissions through the use of fuel for energy and the use of coke and limestone.
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Natural gas processing
Schematic representation of CO2 capture in natural gas processing.
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Pre-combustion
Schematic representation of pre-combustion CO2 capture.
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Post-combustion
Schematic representation of post-combustion CO2 capture.
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Adsorption capture
Multi-layer adsorption beds separate flue gases in stages.
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Adsorption capture
Principle of adsorption capture.
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Hollow fibre membrane
Membrane gas absorption: hollow fibre module.
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Flatsheet membrane
Gas separation membrane: flatsheet module.
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Long term fate of CO2
CO2 moves upwards to the top seal. Over time the CO2 dissolves into the formation water. This makes it denser and it moves downwards.
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Mineral carbonation
Carbon dioxide can be reacted with minerals to form stable carbonates. The mineral needs to be crushed and research is underway to increase the rate of reaction.
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Treatment of mineral residues
CO2 can be stored in mineral residues such as red muds produced by alumina refineries.
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Storage site assessment
As more information about a potential storage site is obtained, uncertainty about the volume of carbon dioxide that can be stored is reduced.
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Aquifer Storage
Rock formations for geologic storage, such as deep saline formations, would be much deeper than any usable groundwater and separated from that groundwater by thick barriers of impervious rock.These formations generally already proved their effectiveness by keeping highly-salty saline water separate from usable groundwater for millions of years.
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Storage Options
Geological storage options for CO2. Several types of rock formations are suitable for CO2 storage, including depleted oil and gas fields, deep saline formations and deep, unmineable coal seams. Other types of formations such as basalts and oil shales are being examined by scientists for possible future use.
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Trapping in deep saline formations
Some CO2 will be trapped between pores some will dissolve and sink in the formation and some will react to form stable minerals. The dissolved CO2 travels very slowly with the formation water, trapped in the formation.
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Fault trapping
A sealing fault can line up an impervious rock layer with the formation to prevent the CO2 from moving upwards out of the formation
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Anticline trapping
The buoyant CO2 will collect under a curved layer of impermeable rock at the highest point, unable to move out of the formation.
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Facies change trapping
CO2 can become trapped when there is a change in the type of rock in the formation from a permeable rock to an impermeable rock.
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Unconformity trapping
The CO2 is trapped when there is a sudden change in the rock formations, so that the CO2 cannot move further upwards.
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Trapping Security
As time goes on, increasingly secure trapping mechanisms come into play and the overall security of storage increases
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Supercritical State
CO2 will be injected at depths below 0.8 km (2600 feet ). CO2 increases in density with depth and becomes a supercritical fluid below 0.8 km. Supercritical fluids take up much less space, as shown in this figure, and diffuse better than either gases or ordinary liquids through the tiny pore spaces in storage rocks. The blue numbers in this figure show the volume of CO2 at each depth compared to a volume of 100 at the surface
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Enhanced oil recovery (EOR)
Carbon dioxide can be injected into oil reservoirs, making the oil easier to produce. Some of the carbon dioxide remains trapped in the rocks.
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Otway Project Stage 1
CRC-1 Injection Well
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Otway Project Stage 2B
Preparing control lines to be lowered into the well
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OTWAY PROJECT CELEBRATION – 22 APRIL 2016
CO2CRC’s Otway project visitor centre
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OTWAY PROJECT CELEBRATION – 22 APRIL 2016
Martin Ferguson, CO2CRC Chairman, speaks to guests
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OTWAY PROJECT CELEBRATION – 22 APRIL 2016
Tania Constable, CO2CRC CEO, Martin Ferguson, CO2CRC Chairman, and Richard Riordan, Member for Polwarth, unveil the plaque
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OTWAY PROJECT CELEBRATION – 22 APRIL 2016
CO2CRC’s Rajindar Singh explains the important research untaken at the site
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CRC-3 Core
127m of core was recovered for the CRC-3 Well
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Visitors Centre
The inside of the renovated visitors centre made possible by sponsorship from the GCCSI
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Aerial shot of CRC-3
Aerial view showing the CRC-3 Well at the CO2CRC Otway National Research Facility
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CO2CRC Otway Open Day 2017
Members of the local community and from further afield came to the Otway National Research Facility for the annual Open Day.
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