Analysis of possible geological storage of CO2 and nuclear waste in Lithuania

Lithuania is currently dealing with two major problems in energy sector: final closure of Ignalina Nuclear Power plant (Ignalina NPP) in the end of 2009 and nuclear waste disposal and climate change mitigation issues having in mind replacement of nuclear capacities with fossil one and anticipated increase in GHG emissions. Lithuania has two options: to construct new nuclear power plant also taking into account nuclear waste disposal issue or to burn fossil fuel and to apply carbon capture and storage (CCS) for GHG emission reduction. These two options need to be investigated in Lithuania based on various studies conducted in Lithuania and abroad dealing with geological carbon storage and nuclear waste disposal potentials. There are no long-lived nuclear waste geological storage capacities in Lithuania and there is no pilot project on CCS developed in Lithuania. The aim of the article is to analyse and compare geological carbon and nuclear waste storage opportunities in Lithuania and to assess nuclear and carbon capture and storage technologies in terms of costs.     

Social acceptance of carbon dioxide storage

This article discusses public acceptance of carbon capture and storage (CCS). Responses by citizens are described in relation to responses by professionally involved actors. Interviews with members of the government, industry and environmental NGOs showed that these professional actors are interested in starting up storage projects, based on thorough evaluation processes, including discussions on multi-actor working groups. As appeared from a survey among citizens living near a potential storage site (N=103), public attitudes in general were slightly positive, but attitudes towards storage nearby were slightly negative. The general public appeared to have little knowledge about CO₂-storage, and have little desire for more information. Under these circumstances, trust in the professional actors is particularly important. NGOs were found to be trusted most, and industry least by the general public. Trust in each of the three actors appeared to depend on perceived competence and intentions, which in turn were found to be related to perceived similarity of goals and thinking between trustee and trustor. Implications for communication about CCS are discussed.     

Potentials and costs of carbon dioxide mitigation in the world's buildings

Buildings are responsible for over a third of global energy-related carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. A significant share of these emissions can be avoided cost effectively through improved energy efficiency, while providing the same or higher level of energy services. How large is this emission reduction potential globally and how much will it cost for society to unlock it? This paper provides answers to these questions, presenting the results of bottom-up research conducted for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), based on the assessment of 80 country- or regional-level mitigation studies throughout the world. First, the paper analyses the findings of these studies in a common framework. Then, it aggregates their results into a global estimate of CO₂ mitigation potential. The paper concludes that by 2020 it is possible to cut cost effectively approximately 29% of buildings-related global CO₂ emissions, the largest among all sectors reported by the IPCC, representing a 3.2 GtCO₂eq. reduction. Developing countries house the largest cost-effective potential with up to 52% of building-level emissions, whereas transition economies and industrialised countries have cost-effective potentials of up to 37% and 25%, respectively. Energy-efficient lighting was identified as the most attractive measure worldwide, in terms of both reduction potential and cost effectiveness. If this potential is realised, the building-related CO₂ emissions would stay constant over 2004–2030. These stabilisation levels (if achieved by all other sectors) would cancel about 3°C temperature increase over the projected period of time.     

Wood fuel supply,costs and home consumption in Lithuania

This paper examines the possibilities of increasing the use of wood from private forests in Lithuania for bioenergy purposes. Potential wood fuel supply and consumption were investigated using a literature review and analysis of statistical data. Costs of wood chips production were calculated applying economic simulation. The analysis showed that 0.6 Mm³ (1.2 TWh) of firewood is produced and about 0.3 Mm³ (0.6 TWh) of forest logging residues could be used annually for fuel in private forests. The available volume will increase in coming decades. In total, Lithuanian households had increased wood fuel consumption by five times during 10 years and exceeded 2.3 Mm³ (4.6 TWh) in 2003. Firewood production for home consumption is one of the most important forest owners’ objectives.The cost of forest chips varied from 19 to 36 euro m⁻³ in pre-commercial thinnings and from 20 to 28 euro m⁻³ in final thinnings. The lack of specific policies supporting the use of natural resources is causing a lack of incentive to increase the use of local fuels.     

气候变化背景下的CCS热力学分析

气候变化问题已经从政治层面到民生角度引起了全球范围的关注,发展低碳、环境友好工业成为了工业界主要探索的新方向.首先介绍了全球气候变化,简单论述近一个世纪关于气候变化现象及其成因的讨论,指出全球确有变暖趋势,但其具体原因存在争论.其次在气候变化背景下引入CCS (Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage,二氧化碳的捕集与封存)的概念,介绍其具体环节及相应技术手段,并从热力学第一、第二定律角度定性分析其特点、可行性和稳定性.最后简单介绍其他风险、政策、法规等相关问题.     

Scaling up carbon dioxide capture and storage: From megatons to gigatons

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) capture and storage (CCS) is the only technology that can reduce CO₂ emissions substantially while allowing fossil fuels to meet the world's pressing energy needs. Even though the technological components of CCS—separation of CO₂ from emissions, transport, and secure storage—are all in use somewhere in the economy, they do not currently function together in the manner required for large-scale CO₂ reduction. The challenge for CCS to be considered commercial is to integrate and scale up these components. Significant challenges remain in growing CCS from the megaton level where it is today to the gigaton level where it needs to be to help mitigate global climate change. These challenges, none of which are showstoppers, include lowering costs, developing needed infrastructure, reducing subsurface uncertainty, and addressing legal and regulatory issues. Progress will require a series of demonstration projects worldwide, an economically viable policy framework, and the evolution of a business model.     

The performance of the Norwegian carbon dioxide,capture and storage innovation system

In order to take up Norway's twin challenge of reducing CO₂ emissions, while meeting its growing energy demand with domestic resources, the deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) plays an important role in Norwegian energy policies. This study uses the Functions of Innovation Systems approach to identify key policy issues that need to be addressed in order to prolong Norway's international leadership position in the development of CCS. The analysis shows that Norway has been successful in building an innovation system around CCS technology. The key determinants for this achievement are pinpointed in this article. However, the evolution of the innovation system seems to have entered a critical phase that is decisive for a further thriving development of CCS in Norway. The results provide a clear understanding of the current impediments in the CCS innovation system and stress the need to direct policy initiatives at the identified weak system functions—i.e. entrepreneurial activity and market formation—to improve the performance of the system. We discuss how policymakers can use these insights to develop a coherent set of policy instruments that would foster the deployment of CCS concepts related to power production and enhanced oil recovery in Norway.     

Techno-economic appraisal of fossil-fuelled power generation systems with carbon dioxide capture and storage

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) facilities coupled to power plants provide a climate change mitigation strategy that potentially permits the continued use of fossil fuels whilst reducing the carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. This process involves three basic stages: capture and compression of CO₂ from power stations, transport of CO₂, and storage away from the atmosphere for hundreds to thousands of years. Potential routes for the capture, transport and storage of CO₂ from United Kingdom (UK) power plants are examined. Six indicative options are evaluated, based on ‘Pulverised Coal’, ‘Natural Gas Combined Cycle’, and ‘Integrated (coal) Gasification Combined Cycle’ power stations. Chemical and physical CO₂ absorption capture techniques are employed with realistic transport possibilities to ‘Enhanced Oil Recovery’ sites or depleted gas fields in the North Sea. The selected options are quantitatively assessed against well-established economic and energy-related criteria. Results show that CO₂ capture can reduce emissions by over 90%. However, this will reduce the efficiency of the power plants concerned, incurring energy penalties between 14 and 30% compared to reference plants without capture. Costs of capture, transport and storage are concatenated to show that the whole CCS chain ‘cost of electricity’ (COE) rises by 27-142% depending on the option adopted. This is a significant cost increase, although calculations show that the average ‘cost of CO₂ captured’ is £15/tCO₂ in 2005 prices [the current base year for official UK producer price indices]. If potential governmental carbon penalties were introduced at this level, then the COE would equate to the same as the reference plant, and make CCS a viable option to help mitigate large-scale climate change.     

Investigation of biomass gasification hydrogen and electricity co-production with carbon dioxide capture and storage

Biomass is one of the renewable energy resources which can be used instead of fossil fuels to diminish environment pollution and emission of greenhouse gases. Hydrogen as a biomass is considered as an alternative fuel which can be derived from a variety of domestically available primary sources. In this paper, a hydrogen and electricity co-generation plant with rice husk is proposed. Rice husk with water vapor and oxygen produces syngas in gasifier. In this design, electricity is generated by using two Rankine cycles. The Results show that the net electric efficiency and hydrogen production efficiency are 1.5% and 40.0%, respectively. Hydrogen production is 1.316 kg/s in case which carbon dioxide is gathered and stored. The electricity generation is 5.923 MW_e. The main propose of implementing Rankine cycle is to eliminate hydrogen combustion for generating electricity and to reduce NO_x production. Furthermore, three kinds of membranes are studied in this paper.     

Enhancing hydrogen storage on carbon nanotubes via hybrid chemical etching and Pt decoration employing supercritical carbon dioxide fluid

Acidic etching and Pt particle decoration were applied to modify the hydrogen absorption behavior of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Two different acidic solutions, namely H₂SO₄/HNO₃ and FeSO₄/H₂SO₄/H₂O₂, were used for etching treatment. A novel electroless deposition process, incorporating supercritical CO₂ (sc-CO₂) fluid, was used to decorate finely-dispersed nano-sized Pt particles on CNTs. The hydrogen storage capacities of various modified CNTs were measured by using a high pressure thermal gravimetric microbalance (HPTGA). The experimental results showed that acidic etching could increase the surface defect density and lead to open-up of the caps of CNTs, resulting in an increase in the active adsorption site for physical sorption of H_2. The electroless deposition of nano-Pt particles on CNTs, using conventional electrolyte, could promote chemical sorption of hydrogen via spillover mechanism. By employing sc-CO₂ bath, the Pt particle size became much finer and more uniformly distributed on the surfaces of CNTs, giving rise to a high hydrogen storage capacity. When a hybrid process including sc-CO₂ Pt decoration following acidic etching was applied to modify CNTs, a substantial enhancement of hydrogen storage capacity (about 2.7 wt%) was observed.     

水-水式二氧化碳制冷系统仿真模型算法的比较

从实际应用出发,考虑到系统仿真的不同用途,对于几种不同的已知条件和待求条件的情况,分别介绍了仿真模型的计算方法,并针对其中一种已知蒸发温度的类型,分析了其仿真结果。这些不同的仿真模型与算法可以为相应程序的编制提供参考。     

Estimation of storage costs for large hydrogen storage facilities

The paper presents an economic evaluation of alternative hydrogen storage methods (pressurized gas, metal hydride and cryogenic storage) for large stationary (utility-scale) applications. The presentation of cost calculation clarifies the importance and influence of a set of relevant parameters depending on the charging-discharging schedule, the relation of the capacity to power level etc. The results presented define the useful range of application for each storage method, whereas the corresponding cost composition (power related capital costs, capacity-related capital costs, energy costs) is analysed and discussed.     

Human population and carbon dioxide

A recently proposed model of human population and carbon utilization is reviewed. Depending on parameter values, one of three possible long-term outcomes is obtained. (1) Atmospheric carbon, (CO₂)_atm, and human populations equilibrate at positive values. (2) The human population stabilizes, while (CO₂)_atm increases without bound. (3) The human population goes extinct and atmospheric carbon declines to 0. The final possibility is qualitatively compatible with both “consensus” views of climate change and the opinions of those who are more impressed with the manifestly adverse consequences of carbon-mitigation to human reproduction and survival.     

Construction costs of nuclear power stations

Assuming that nuclear power will increasingly supply the base-load of electricity generation in the industrialised world, the author identifies areas where techniques and practices can be improved to control costs. He cites lack of standardisation and over-long licensing times as major factors in the recent rapid escalation of nuclear power costs and suggests that the adoption of standard reactor designs, the encouragement of a vigorous and competitive European nuclear industry and the streamlining of licensing procedures could improve matters.     

Fuelling costs of nuclear reactors A comparison of CANDY versus PWR nuclear fuel cycle costs using UK data PWR nuclear fuel cycle costs using UK data

Nuclear fuel cycle costs for a single PWR electricity generating station have been calculated and reported as part of the CEGB Proof of Evidence to the Sizewell B Public Inquiry. In the present study, a similar calculation is carried out for a CANDU-type station. The comparison of results shows a considerable advantage in favour of CANDU fuel cycle costs. In view of uncertainties regarding the cost and availability of reprocessing, this cost is not included in the comparison.     

Climate trade-off between black carbon and carbon dioxide emissions

There are various difficulties involved with comparing the effects of short-lived and long-lived atmospheric species on climate. Global warming potentials (GWPs) can be computed for pulse emissions of short-lived species. However, if the focus is on the long-term effect of a pulse emission occurring today, GWPs do not factor in the fact that if a radiative forcing is applied for a short period, the climate system has time to relax back to equilibrium. The concept of global temperature change potential (GTP) at a time horizon for an emission pulse has been proposed to circumvent this problem. Here we show how GTPs can be used to compare black carbon (BC) and CO₂ emissions and the methodology is illustrated with two concrete examples. In particular we discuss a trade-off situation where a decrease in BC emissions is associated with a fuel penalty and therefore an additional CO₂ emission. A parameter—which depends on the BC radiative effects, the BC emission reduction and the additional CO₂ emission—is defined and can be compared to a critical parameter to assess whether or not the BC emission reduction wins over the fuel penalty for various time horizons. We show how this concept can be generalised to compare the climate effects of carbon dioxide against a set of short-lived species and to account for differences in climate efficacy. Finally, the need for additional research is discussed in the light of current uncertainties.     

利用环境再冷的二氧化碳储能热电联产系统及其热力学分析

为提升光电出力特性及灵活性,构建光储协同系统成为改善光电可调度性与减少弃光的主流趋势.本文基于光伏电场运营环境特点,提出一种利用夜间环境冷量再冷的二氧化碳储能热电联产系统,重点分析了不同运行模式下系统性能随关键参数的变化规律.结果表明:太阳能集热系统单独工作模式下,增大蓄冷回热器最小温差、夜间环境温度和低压罐压力会导致...     

Breakeven costs of storage in optimized solar energy systems

This paper describes the results of an analysis of the breakeven cost, or value, of energy storage to solar energy systems. The value of storage depends strongly both on the solar fraction of the solar energy system in which the storage is employed and on the cost of the collectors used in the system. Various strategies for dealing with this ambiguity are presented. For a broad class of technically and economically practical solar energy systems, storage costs need only be low enough to make a system employing very small amounts of storage practical. Reductions in the cost of collectors will thereafter produce greater reductions in the total system costs or provide greater fuel displacement at constant total system cost than will reductions in the cost of storage, within the limits discussed in the body of the paper. The analysis makes use of a simple, accurate representation of solar energy system performance which may prove useful in other contexts.