There has been a lot of talk about the advantages of carbon capture and sequestration for years. But only recently, with the passage of cap-and-trade legislation, has carbon capture and sequestration received the recognition it deserves. Because without advancements in this area, any significant reduction in carbon emissions will be nearly impossible to achieve.
The Tundra carbon capture and storage project is a recent attempt to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the oil sands of Alberta. The project will inject the captured carbon dioxide deep into the ground where it will be trapped by the permafrost.
The Milton Young station is home to energy innovation, the lignite coal-based power plant is the focus of a major research and development effort called Project Tundra. Innovative technologies are being explored to remove up to 95 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions from the young station’s unit to the generator. If Project Tender is completed as planned, North Dakota would be home to the largest carbon capture facility in the world.
How does this project work?
So how does it work? The first step is to take the flu gas from the power plant and divert it to a scrubber, which cools the gas and removes impurities. From there, in contrast to SASK Carbon Capture Project, the gas flows into the bottom of a large absorber unit, which is filled with stainless steel structural packing. As the gas rises through the packing and Amien based liquid solvent is released, the Amien bonds with the CO2 and removes it from the flu gas. The solvent is then sent to a regeneration unit. Their heat is used to separate the CO2 from the liquid solvent, bringing the CO2 back to a gaseous state.
The CO2 is finally delivered to a compressor where it is compacted and prepared for transport via pipeline. The solvent, meanwhile, is routed back to the absorber unit where it is used again. The captured CO2 will either be permanently stored in a deep geologic formation or used to enhance production from oil fields that are near the end of their useful life.
Future perspectives
There has been some debate recently about the merits of the Nenana coal plant (proposed to be built next to the Tundra). Some people argue that the plant is the key to a future of clean, cheap energy for all Alaskans. Others argue that the plant will depress the state economy and that it will make climate change worse. Though the debate is still ongoing, there is a way to cut through the rhetoric, and get some fact-based answers: by talking to the people who are actually working to develop the technology that will bring clean, cheap energy to the world.