Carbon sequestration and trading
- 1. Carbon sequestration and trading Presented by- Avijit Pramanik AAH-MA-09-02 B.F.Sc, W.B.U.A.F.S. M.F.Sc, CIFE, Mumbai A SEMINAR ON-
- 2. Ø Carbon dioxide, along with other greenhouse gases, forms a protective layer around the Earth. Ø The layer capture a portion of the sun’s energy and allowing the planet to be warmer than it would be without it. Ø Biogeochemical cycles : a natural flow and store of substances among the atmosphere, oceans, and land surfaces. Ø In the Earth’s natural biogeochemical cycles, carbon is exchanged between terrestrial vegetation and the atmosphere through photosynthesis and respiration. Ø The level of carbon in the atmosphere remains in balance when the carbon going in and out of the atmosphere is of roughly equal amounts. Ø When the levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases increase, they trap higher levels of the sun’s energy in the atmosphere, resulting in a rising global temperature. INTRODUCTION
- 3. q What is a Carbon Sink? Ø A key source of the increase in carbon dioxide emissions is human activity. Ø Nearly half of all anthropocentric emissions remain in the atmosphere, with the rest being taken up by natural carbon sinks. Ø The main natural carbon sinks are plants, the ocean and soil. Ø Plants grab carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to use in photosynthesis; some of this carbon is transferred to soil as plants die and decompose. Ø The oceans are a major carbon storage system for carbon dioxide. Ø Marine animals also take up the gas for photosynthesis, while some carbon dioxide simply dissolves in the seawater. Ø “Combined, the Earth’s land and ocean sinks absorb about half of all carbon dioxide emissions from human activities,” said Paul Fraser of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization.
- 5. Ø In terms of carbon dioxide, there are a number of initiatives that can help to manage emissions, most efficiently including carbon trading and carbon sequestration. Ø Carbon sequestration, which can provide for the long-term storage of carbon dioxide either by enhancing natural sinks or through artificial methods. Ø Some studies have shown that sequestration can be a cost-effective method to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide in the near term. Ø Sequestration can take place in terrestrial areas (trees, plants, and crops), in the underground storage of geologic formations, and in the deep ocean.
- 6. q What is Carbon Sequestration? Ø Carbon Sequestration is capturing and securely storing carbon dioxide emitted from the global energy system. Ø “carbon sequestration” include both natural and deliberate processes - by which CO2 is either removed from the atmosphere stored in the ocean, terrestrial environments (vegetation, soils, and sediments), and geologic formations. Ø Before human-caused CO2 emissions began, the natural processes that make up the global “carbon cycle” maintained a near balance between the uptake of CO2 and its release back to the atmosphere.
- 7. Types of Sequestration: There are number of technologies for sequestering carbon from the atmosphere. These can be discussed under three main categories: Ocean Sequestration: Carbon stored in oceans through direct injection or fertilization. Geologic Sequestration: Natural pore spaces in geologic formations serve as reservoirs for long-term carbon dioxide storage. Terrestrial Sequestration: A large amount of carbon is stored in soils and vegetation, which are our natural carbon sinks.
- 8. q Terrestrial Sequestration: Ø Terrestrial sequestration sometimes termed “biological sequestration” Ø CO2 from the atmosphere is naturally absorbed through photosynthesis and stored as carbon in biomass & soils. Ø Soils and vegetation are natural focal points for carbon storage. Ø Forests provide a variety of benefits to both man and nature by supplying planet’s oxygen while storing carbon (which cause global warming). Ø Methods that can increase the potential for sequestration include afforestation—the conversion of open land to forest—reforestation, and forest preservation. Ø Methods that can reduce CO2 emissions such as reducing agricultural tillage and suppressing wildfires.
- 10. q Geologic Sequestration: Ø Geologic sequestration involves a direct injection of carbon dioxide. Ø Geologic sequestration begins with capturing CO2 from the exhaust of fossilfuel power plants and other major sources. Ø The captured CO2 is piped 1 to 4 kilometers below the land surface and injected into porous rock formations. Ø CO2 stored into underground geologic formation at high pressure and depths generally > 2,625 feet. Ø At this depth that pressurized carbon dioxide behaves like a liquid and occupies all possible areas,including the pore spaces within the surrounding rock, similar to the way a sponge absorbs water. Ø Suggested storage sites include depleted oil reservoirs, coal beds that cannot be mined, and deep saline aquifers.
- 11. § Unminable coal beds, which are either too thick or too deep to be mined economically. § The beds are also a possible option for carbon storage because carbon dioxide adheres to the surface of the coal, which could ensure safe, long-term storage. § The process of injecting carbon dioxide into coal beds also offers the benefit of releasing methane which can be recovered and sold to help offset costs of sequestration. Ø Deep saline aquifers offer another potential storage option for carbon. Ø These rock units, containing water with a high concentration of salt, are relatively common in distribution and are believed to have a large storage capacity. Ø Unfortunately, they have no byproduct that can help to offset costs . Ø Overall, geologic sequestration costs are site-specific, it depends on available infrastructure, location, depth.
- 12. Geologic Sequestration Trapping Mechanisms: Hydrodynamic Trapping: Carbon dioxide can be trapped as a gas under low-permeability cap rock (much like natural gas is stored in gas reservoirs). Solubility Trapping: Carbon dioxide can be dissolved into a liquid, such as water or oil. Mineral Carbonation: Carbon dioxide can react with the minerals, and organic matter to form stable compounds/minerals; largely calcium, iron, and magnesium carbonates.
- 14. o Ocean Sequestration: Ø The ocean is the largest natural long-term sink on Earth . Ø The world’s oceans are the primary sink for human-caused CO2 emissions Ø Plankton at the ocean surface use photosynthesis to convert carbon dioxide into sugars in the same way trees and land plants do on land. Ø Other sea creatures consume the phytoplankton containing sugar and when they died they sink to the deep sea bottom and locked over millions of year as sediment. Ø While chemical process can create calcium carbonate in the water and some organisms use carbon to build shells and skeletons.
- 15. Ø Similar to geologic sequestration, carbon dioxide can be directly injected into the depths of the ocean to ensure long-term storage. Ø Transport can take place through an onshore pipeline or via an ocean tanker. Ø Either option would also need to include a monitoring and verification program.
- 17. WHAT IS CARBON TRADING? v Carbon trading is a market-based system aimed at reducing greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming, particularly carbon dioxide emitted by burning fossil fuels. v Carbon Trading is a scheme where firms (or countries) buy and sell carbon permits as part of a programme to reduce carbon emissions. v Usually firms are given a certain quote to pollute a certain amount. If they wish to pollute more than their allowance then they have to buy more permits. v If they pollute less than their quota they can sell their spare permits on the market. Thus there is an incentive to reduce pollution and find the most efficient way of dealing with pollution. v The European Union Emission Trading Scheme (or EU ETS) is the largest multi-national, greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme in the world. (Jones et al., 2007, p. 64)
- 18. Ø Carbon trading - also known as ‘cap and trade’ schemes, at regional, national and international levels. Ø “cap” part - the companies can only emit as much CO2 as they have credits for “trade” part - those below their CO2 limit can sell credits to companies that exceed the limit. Ø The goal is to slow down global warming. Ø Carbon emissions trading really took off when the European Union instituted a cap and trade program in 2005. Ø The cap's goal is to reduce carbon emission by 43% by 2030. Ø It affects 11,000 energy and industrial plants. Ø The market for carbon trading was $176 billion in 2011. It could exceed $1 trillion by 2020.
- 20. REFERENCES: • Terrestrial Sequestration: • http://www.epa.gov/sequestration/faq.html • Geological Sequestration: • http://sequestration.org/ • http://www.fossil.energy.gov/programs/sequestration/geologic/index.html • Ocean Sequestration http://www.princeton.edu/~chm333/2002/fall/co_two/oceans • Das, S.K.(2015) Carbon farming & credit for mitigating green house gases. Current News, Oct-2015, vol-109, 7: p 1223 • Carbon Sequestration to Mitigate Climate Change - USGS
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