Carbon Capture and Storage — Revision Notes

⚡ 30-Second Revision

CCS captures CO2 from large sources, transports, and stores it underground.
Key capture types: Post-combustion, Pre-combustion, Oxy-fuel.
Sleipner (Norway, 1996) was the first commercial offshore CCS project.
Petra Nova (US, 2017) demonstrated CCS with Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR).
India's NTPC and ONGC are involved in pilot CCS projects.
CCS is crucial for decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors like cement and steel.

2-Minute Revision

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is a three-step process: capturing CO2 from industrial flue gases, transporting it, and storing it geologically. Capture technologies include post-combustion (most common, uses solvents like amines), pre-combustion (for syngas, more efficient), and oxy-fuel combustion (burns fuel in pure oxygen for high CO2 concentration).

Transport is typically via pipelines. Storage occurs in deep geological formations like saline aquifers (largest capacity) or depleted oil/gas reservoirs (often with EOR). Monitoring and Verification (M&V) ensure permanence and detect leakage.

Globally, projects like Sleipner (Norway) and Petra Nova (USA) demonstrate feasibility. In India, NTPC and ONGC are piloting CCS. Policy frameworks like India's NDC and NAPCC implicitly support CCS, especially for hard-to-abate sectors.

Challenges include high cost, energy penalty, and regulatory gaps, but it remains a vital bridge technology for India's net-zero by 2070.

5-Minute Revision

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is a vital climate mitigation technology comprising capture, transport, and geological storage of CO2. Capture methods include post-combustion (e.g., amine scrubbing for flue gases, TRL 9, high energy penalty), pre-combustion (for syngas, TRL 8-9, more efficient), and oxy-fuel combustion (burns in pure O2, TRL 7-8, high O2 cost).

Transport is primarily via pipelines. Storage is typically in deep saline aquifers (largest capacity) or depleted oil/gas reservoirs (often combined with Enhanced Oil Recovery, EOR, providing economic incentive).

Monitoring and Verification (M&V) systems are crucial for ensuring long-term permanence and detecting potential leakages. Global examples include Sleipner (Norway, saline aquifer storage since 1996) and Petra Nova (USA, EOR-linked post-combustion capture).

In India, NTPC is exploring capture technologies, and ONGC is trialing EOR with CO2. CCS is critical for decarbonizing hard-to-abate industrial sectors (cement, steel) and managing emissions from coal-fired power plants, aligning with India's NDC and net-zero by 2070 target.

Key variants like Direct Air Capture (DAC) and Bioenergy with CCS (BECCS) offer negative emissions potential but face higher costs and energy demands. Challenges for India include high capital and operational costs (energy penalty), lack of a comprehensive regulatory framework, limited CO2 transport infrastructure, and public perception issues.

Economic feasibility requires robust policy support (carbon pricing, incentives) and innovative finance mechanisms (green bonds, Article 6 carbon credits). Despite challenges, CCS is a strategic bridge technology, complementing renewable energy expansion to achieve India's climate goals.

Prelims Revision Notes

1
Definition — CCS is capturing CO2 from point sources, transporting, and storing it geologically.
2
Capture Types — Post-combustion (flue gas, amine scrubbing, most common, TRL 9), Pre-combustion (syngas, IGCC, more efficient, TRL 8-9), Oxy-fuel (pure O2 combustion, high CO2 purity, TRL 7-8).
3
Transport — Primarily pipelines; also ships.
4
Storage — Geological (deep saline aquifers - largest potential, depleted oil/gas reservoirs - EOR, unmineable coal seams). Trapping mechanisms: structural, residual, solubility, mineral.
5
M&V — Seismic, well logging, surface sensors to ensure permanence.
6
Energy Penalty — Significant energy consumption for capture/compression, reducing net output.
7
Key Projects (Global) — Sleipner (Norway, 1996, saline aquifer), Petra Nova (USA, 2017, EOR).
8
Key Projects (India) — NTPC (NETRA R&D, pilot projects), ONGC (EOR trials).
9
Policy Links — India's Updated NDC (45% emissions intensity reduction by 2030), NAPCC (indirect support), NITI Aayog roadmap.
10
Variants — Direct Air Capture (DAC - negative emissions, high cost), Bioenergy with CCS (BECCS - negative emissions, land/water concerns), Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR - economic incentive).
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TRLs — Post-combustion/Geological storage are TRL 9. DAC is TRL 6-8.
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Costs — High, $30-200/tCO2 depending on sector/technology.
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Challenges — Cost, energy penalty, regulatory gaps, public acceptance, land/water use.
14
Benefits — Decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors, utilize existing infrastructure, energy security, blue hydrogen potential.

Mains Revision Notes

1
Role in India's Net-Zero — CCS is a crucial 'bridge technology' for India's 2070 net-zero target, particularly for hard-to-abate sectors (cement, steel, chemicals) and managing residual emissions from coal. It allows for continued economic growth while decarbonizing foundational industries.
2
Opportunities — Enables energy security by utilizing domestic coal, supports grid stability, facilitates blue hydrogen production, and offers EOR revenue. It's a pragmatic tool for a just transition.
3
Challenges — High CAPEX/OPEX, significant energy penalty (10-40% for power plants), lack of a dedicated, comprehensive regulatory framework for CO2 transport/storage, limited infrastructure, public perception issues ('moral hazard'), and resource constraints (land, water).
4
Economic Feasibility & Finance — Requires a mix of public funding (government grants, R&D), private investment, blended finance, green bonds , and carbon credit trading (Article 6 of Paris Agreement ). De-risking mechanisms and a clear carbon price signal are essential.
5
Policy & Governance — Need for robust EIA, specific laws for CO2 pipelines and geological storage, clear liability frameworks, and strong M&V protocols. NITI Aayog and MoEFCC play key roles in policy formulation.
6
International Cooperation — Crucial for technology transfer , climate finance, capacity building, and sharing best practices from global projects. India needs to actively engage with global climate funds.
7
Public Acceptance — Fostered through transparency, stakeholder engagement, risk communication, and demonstrating safety and permanence. Addressing concerns about prolonging fossil fuel use.
8
Trade-offs — CCS complements renewables but is not a substitute. Strategic deployment is key, prioritizing sectors where alternatives are limited. A balanced energy transition portfolio is vital.

Vyyuha Quick Recall

Vyyuha Quick Recall: CCS-3P Framework

P1: Process

1
Capture — Separate CO2 from gas streams (Post, Pre, Oxy-fuel).
2
Transport — Pipelines, ships for compressed CO2.
3
Storage — Deep geological formations (saline aquifers, depleted reservoirs).
4
M&V — Monitor for permanence and leakage.
5
Energy Penalty — Significant energy consumed in the process.
6
Variants — DAC, BECCS, EOR.

P2: Projects

1
Sleipner (Norway) — First commercial offshore, saline aquifer storage.
2
Petra Nova (USA) — Post-combustion, EOR linkage.
3
NTPC (India) — Pilot projects, R&D (NETRA).
4
ONGC (India) — EOR trials for CO2 utilization.
5
Global Growth — Increasing capacity, driven by policy.
6
Indian Context — Focus on hard-to-abate sectors.

P3: Policy

1
India's NDC — Emissions intensity reduction, non-fossil capacity targets.
2
NAPCC — Broader climate action framework.
3
Regulatory Gaps — Need for dedicated CO2 transport/storage laws.
4
Finance — Green bonds, carbon credits (Article 6), international climate finance.
5
NITI Aayog — Roadmap, strategic guidance.
6
Public Acceptance — Key for social license and deployment.