Carbon dioxide capture and geological storage: research,development and application in Australia

Projections of world energy demand indicate increasing use of fossil fuels, especially coal. Because of this there is interest in using carbon dioxide capture and storage technologies as a mitigation option, particularly in Australia because of its dependency on fossil fuels for electricity generation. Research in Australia into capture options includes post-combustion capture (PCC), integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) and oxyfuels combustion. Separation technologies being investigated in Australia include solvent absorption, membranes, adsorption and cryogenics, with particular emphasis on bringing down costs. Australia appears to have abundant geological storage capacity, particularly in saline formations and to a much lesser extent in depleted oil and gas fields. Storage in coal systems has potential but more research and development is needed. Australia has the opportunity to use low-emission hubs in order to bring down costs. A major study of this concept for the Latrobe Valley of Victoria, based on 50 million tonnes per annum of CO2 emissions, is encouraging. A key concept for taking CO2 capture and geological storage forward is demonstration and commercial deployment. Australian projects are proposed for PCC and oxyfuels combustion. A significant geological storage project has started in the Otway Basin, with CO2 injection scheduled to commence in mid-2007. The coal-to-liquids Monash Project could involve up to 10 million tonnes CO2 per annum, with injection into the offshore Gippsland Basin. The most advanced commercial project is the LNG Gorgon Project, comprising about 3 million tonnes per annum. Through current R&D momentum and the likelihood of a number of major commercial-scale projects, Australia could become an early mover in the application of carbon dioxide capture and geological storage.