Captured CO2 can be securely stored underground, study shows

Carbon dioxide can be safely and securely stored underground for thousands of years, according to a new study out of the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.

Carbon capture technologies have proven their ability to pull CO2 from the air, and they're now becoming a reality, with some facilities already operating in Europe. But questions about how the captured carbon will be stored have remained.

Scientists at Aberdeen analyzed several carbon storage methods used by energy companies and tested by engineers over the last several decades. Using the scientific literature, researchers developed a model to simulate the long-term performance of each storage method.

Their calculations showed underground storage can ensure CO2 remains out of the atmosphere for at least 10,000 years.

"We selected the model inputs to be conservative but realistic," researchers Stephanie Flude said in a news release. "Importantly, our computer simulations, based on good-regulation practices, such as those used currently in the North Sea, retained more than 90 percent of the injected carbon dioxide after 10,000 years in 95 percent of the cases. The most probable outcome being at least 98 percent retention."

To store CO2 underground, the gas is converted in liquified gas and injected deep beneath the surface at high pressure. The new research -- published this week in the journal Nature Communications -- suggests the CO2 naturally becomes trapped in microscopic bubbles found inside rocks. The carbon dioxide can also become dissolved by salty water already trapped in rocks.

"The security of carbon dioxide storage is an understandable concern for people, communities and governments," said researcher Juan Alcalde. "Our work shows that the storage of carbon dioxide necessary to help address climate change can be secure for many thousands of years."

New research has shown that climate scientists and policy makers may have put too much emphasis on containing temperature increases and not enough on curbing increases in atmospheric CO2. As such, carbon capture technologies could be essential to minimizing the consequences of climate change.

Related Links
Carbon Worlds - where graphite, diamond, amorphous, fullerenes meet

Tweet

Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.

SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly

paypal only

SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once

credit card or paypal

First direct images of dissolved organic carbon from the ocean
Irvine CA (SPX) Jun 11, 2018
In a first, researchers from the University of California, Irvine - as well as Switzerland's University of Zurich, IBM Research-Zurich and UC Santa Cruz - have obtained direct images of dissolved organic carbon molecules from the ocean, allowing better analysis and characterization of compounds that play an important role in the Earth's changing climate. Using an atomic force microscopy technique developed by IBM, the team was able to visualize individual atoms and bonds, yielding clues about thei ... read more