Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.
Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.
I got that mailer and it is just spectacular. Great to see the diligence of the Mantra team.
-Greener
Here is a link to the news we got last month about winter Olympics... enjoy:
http://www.mantraenergy.com/press-releases/mantra-selected-to-participate-in-metro-vancouver-2010-investment-program.html
2010 Winter Olympics coming Feb 12-28........ Mantra gets exposure
Are you guys excited yet?
http://www.vancouver2010.com/
Sounds good.... I'll do it right now.
-Greener
http://4freebees.wordpress.com/2009/10/13/carbon-recycling-mantra-venture-group/
Link for article that is short, but interesting place to find it...... Freebie site.
-Greener
http://4freebees.wordpress.com/2009/10/13/carbon-recycling-mantra-venture-group/
Link for article that is short, but interesting place to find it...... Freebie site.
-Greener
Carbon Recycling (Mantra Venture Group)
October 13, 2009 — 2bcandid
It’s not often that something for free comes along that is also ethical, but when it concerns the environment it is particularly nice to see! OK it may not by free from costs, but it may free the environment of carbon dioxide!
This article from: Recycling Product News (www.baumpub.com) features a system able to capture carbon and help to reduce environmental effects of CO2. It is being implemented by Mantra Venture Group.
The process details can be found here CO2 Conversion (www.mantraenergy.com) and make fascinating reading!
BFN,
Steve.
Updated: 13 October 2009
Every time i try to stay calm they come up with a new stupid way to soak CCS with money..... 2.4 Trillion!!!!
Fortunately, it will take a while to develop.... unfortunately, they will have directed capital at this target and wasted everyones time and caused more problems... very sad.
If they find out how to capture Carbon , that is good for Mantra....even storage is good because it can be assimilated later. So win win right...? What do you think Goforthebet?
-Greener
Awesome.... Thank you
-Greener
I emailed it but if you want to send another I woulld say that would be in order. have a great night.
-Greener
Interesting is an understatement... great article.
I forwarded it to Kol. He checks the posts here I'm sure....but I wanted to make sure he saw this first thing on Monday. As far as I can see ... his advisory board should come up with Mantras ERC as a possibility anyway. However, the chances of them not finding Mantra are too great a risk. Right now I would think there are plenty of opportunities for Soros and his LLC to get positioned with any of Mantra's technologies. This is going to get real interesting real quick. IMO
-Greener
Hello sps50
I am not sure how Andy Obermueller really feels about the information, he seems to be focused on promoting CCS but please send an email to the DOE if you would. I think the more of us that do so, the more of an impact it will have. See post #7559 for contact info of DOE. Thanks in advance,
-Greener
Well i guess the point is, the article is about CCS in Alberta, but the tone is negative toward CCS. Its like that is the direction Government is going... but people don't like that direction because it doesn't make sense. It is positive to Mantra because they can dominate the CO2 industry in the near future. I liked the part of the article it says they are not sticking shovels in the ground ready to build but rather signing Letters of Intent. That being said, Mantra is also that far along only with a viable solution and with many LOI's just waiting for some closure. Government is not going to capitalize on the big solutions... only special interest which is short term. General Industry is going to have to capitalize on the ERC solution...develop it , with or without Gov aid and then rake in the big bucks at the end of the day.
There are many ways for them to get noticed and one of them is to trade over $1.00 which I think they feel will come naturally when terms solidify with the interest they have. I know they have promoters both paid and unpaid but we are the high risk takers at this point because we have done DD and bought based on that. Larger investors will come in when the PPS climbs ... they have no interest till the upward momentum is established. That is the point when we will be happy we were patient because the company is mostly held internally and the public float is low and guess what....... they are getting all sorts of funding already so they should not need to dilute. I think we have a great value here.JMHO
-Greener
Mantra receives further funding for CO2 recycling technology
Capture, Oct 09 2009 (Carbon Capture Journal)
- Mantra Venture Group Ltd. has signed a second agreement with the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) in support of its Electroreduction of Carbon Dioxide (ERC) technology.
Mantra received its first contribution from NRC-IRAP in April 2009 with the purpose of establishing the technical basis for electro-reduction of carbon dioxide to formate using Mantra's ERC technology.
Mantra says its technology has advanced significantly since the initial reward, including an increase in efficiency to 89.66% from 46.24% through the use of a new cathode structure.
Over the course of the second project, called "Electroreduction of Carbon Dioxide Development Project 2," Mantra's objective is to explore suitable materials for the anode used in the electrochemical reactor, develop an efficient and effective method to separate and concentrate the formate product, and develop an efficient and effective method to convert the formate product into formic acid. Mantra will continue to work in collaboration Kemetco Research Inc. to see the project through to completion.
Under the terms of the agreement, NRC-IRAP has agreed to contribute up to 50% of costs associated with the development of Mantra's ERC technology, in addition to business and technical advisory and development support. The project is scheduled to begin this month.
The ERC process, "the Electrochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide", combines captured carbon dioxide with water to produce high value materials, such as formic acid and formate salts, which are conventionally obtained from the thermochemical processing of Fossil Fuels. However, ERC has an advantage over the established thermochemical methods for converting carbon dioxide to liquid fuels.
While thermochemical reactions must be driven at relatively high temperatures that are normally obtained by burning fossil fuels, ERC operates at near ambient conditions and is driven by electric energy that can be taken from an electric power grid supplied by hydro, wind, solar or nuclear energy (forms of renewable energy).
Mantra
Well we can be sure it is just games. There are some out there who may not be patient and also the company has made some personnel changes and switcharoos. Usually when that happens the guy who is out the door liquidates his shares out of spite. I'll be enjoying my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches till this thing kicks off and I can afford bologna again. If it goes real good i'll spring for turkey.
-Greener
Group Initiative:
If we could get everyone available to send a message to the US Department of Energy it might get some attention. I plan to send it multiple times.
By E-mail: You can send an email to the Secretary of Energy
at
The.Secretary@hq.doe.gov
By Phone:
1-800-dial-DOE (1-800-342-5363)
1-202-586-5000 (Main Switchboard)
National Phone Directory
By Fax: 202-586-4403
*By Mail: U.S. Department of Energy
1000 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20585
Here is my letter... feel free to cut and paste with your own info:
To Whom It May Concern
Hello, My name is XXXXXXXXXX from XXXXXX USA. I have been hearing a lot about CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) and was wanting to let you know about a company from Canada that has a viable conversion for Carbon Dioxide to Formic acid ( a desirable byproduct). Please look them up at :
www.mantraenergy.com
The Canadian Government has funded them and supported their technology. I am just a citizen with some information I feel is important. If I should contact another department, please let me know. Thank you for your consideration.
"My Contact Info"
-Greener
I received this automated reply:
Thank you for your email to Secretary of Energy Steven Chu. Your message has been received by the Office of the Executive Secretariat on behalf of the Secretary and will be reviewed by the appropriate Department of Energy officials.
Thank you.
So I think if they get a volume of emails with this info, they may have reason to explore. Especially if emails come in from around the world from iHubbers they may feel obligated to look into it.
Thanks
-Greener
O.K.
I sent mine, if we could get everyone available to send a message it might get some attention. Here is my letter:
To Whom It May Concern
Hello, My name is XXXXXXXXXX from XXXXXX USA. I have been hearing a lot about CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) and was wanting to let you know about a company from Canada that has a viable conversion for Carbon Dioxide to Formic acid ( a desirable byproduct). Please look them up at :
www.mantraenergy.com
The Canadian Government has funded them and supported their technology. i am just a citizen with some information I feel is important. If I should contact another department, please let me know. Thank you for your consideration.
"My Contact Info"
-Greener
US DOE contact info:
http://www.energy.gov/contact/index.htm
Contact Us
For information about the Department of Energy and its programs; for assistance in locating information on the web site; or to contact the Secretary of Energy:
By E-mail: You can send an email to the Secretary of Energy
at
The.Secretary@hq.doe.gov
By Phone:
1-800-dial-DOE (1-800-342-5363)
1-202-586-5000 (Main Switchboard)
National Phone Directory
By Fax: 202-586-4403
*By Mail: U.S. Department of Energy
1000 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20585
*Please note: mail may take up to 3 weeks to arrive. As such, we strongly encourage you to use the email address provided above.
Provide your feedback on our site using our Contact Us form.
For Hearing and/or Speech Impaired: Telephone Communication
Recovery Act Inquiries: Contact the DOE Recovery Act Clearinghouse or call the toll-free hotline 1-888-DOE-RCVY (1-888-363-7289)
Press Release Source: Sarissa Resources Inc.
Sarissa Resources Inc. Shining Tree Property Fall Exploration Program
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oakville, ON, October 9, 2009 – Sarissa Resources Inc., (“Sarissa” or the “Company”) (OTCPinksheets: SRSR - News), announces a follow-up exploration program at the O’Connor-Asquith gold property in the Shining Tree district of northern Ontario.
The Shining Tree property consists of 16 claim units in the townships of Asquith and Churchill in the Shining Tree district. On a regional scale the property is located within the prolific Abitibi greenstone belt that is renowned for its concentration of world-class gold and Cu-Zn-Ag-Au deposits. The Shining Tree property is also centred on the axis of a regional gravity high signifying an area of thick supra-crustal rocks and under-plating by oceanic crust. In the Abitibi these associations appear conducive to the discovery of major gold deposits.
Sarissa had conducted a summer surface exploration program under the supervision of the late Alan Hawke with the resulting data reviewed by Warren Hawkins, geologist. That program consisted of stripping and blasting work on the historical large scale gold bearing quartz stockwork vein systems and wall rocks found within the central area of the property. Values as high as 53.9 grams per tonne (1.57 ounces per ton) gold were obtained. These results confirm that gold mineralization on the property is found within a broad spectrum of geological horizons, and the potential for a large tonnage deposit is very promising.
Specifically, the Shining Tree property hosts a gold bearing quartz vein stockwork system that has been exposed on surface in four different areas of the property (identified as Areas One to Four). Areas One and Two are a north/south striking quartz stockwork system located in the central portion of the property. Area Four also strikes north/south and is 500 metres north of Areas One and Two. Area Four is thought to be the strike extension of Areas One/Two. Area Three strikes east/west and crosscuts the approximate midpoint between Areas One, Two and Area Four.
The next exploration phase will consist of drill testing the depth extensions of certain of these surface zones for further gold mineralization. Sarissa has arranged with the same drilling contractors operating on its Nemegosenda niobium property to conduct the currently planned drilling phase on the Shining Tree property. The drilling rig is expected to be on site within the next week.
Warren Hawkins, P.Eng is a “qualified person” within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 and has read and is responsible for the technical information contained in this news release.
About Sarissa Resources:
Sarissa Resources is a junior exploration company with interests in properties with base metal, precious metal, uranium, niobium and rare-earth prospects in Northern Ontario, Canada.
Safe Harbor
This press release contains statements, which may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Those statements include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of Sarissa Resources, Inc., and members of its management as well as the assumptions on which such statements are based. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Important factors currently known to management that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-statements include fluctuation of operating results, the ability to compete successfully and the ability to complete before-mentioned transactions. The company undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION contact:
www.sarissaresources.com
and http://nemegosenda.sarissaresources.com/
Public Relations: Merle Goertz
866-307-1331
I will try the DOE, The other guy is just a stock pusher and opportunist and I don't know how much pull he has.... but not enough for me as of yet. Still, if you look up his contact info i would shoot him a call or email. Thanks
-Greener
I guess in a nutshell, i think it would be a good idea to contact
-- Andy Obermueller
Chief Investment Analyst
Government Driven Investing
Knowing that he is probably not going to change his mind on something that has a Gov backed "Competition" going on behind it. He obviously sees real money being offered to these companies which translates into an opportunity. Will the guys with the plan and the tech to solve this get the money? ... not right away and more then likely not this money That article sounds like a commercial for his stock pick. Also, mantra would have to partner with an american company to qualify for a DOE grant...hasn't happened yet. The only thing I could think of is contacting the US DOE and saying the solution is out there.. the US needs to latch on to it ASAP. Would they take it seriously.. I am not sure, but it wouldn't hurt to try.
JMHO
-Greener
Hello sps50,
I also found it interesting that the article had the label "Government-Driven investing" To me, that means looking at what the Gov is doing and making money off their decisions...... not necessarily making money off the smartest decisions.
I guess that if anybody wanted to make some quick money you could follow CCS, at least to the point of actual pumping it into someone's back yard (see article from Germany and how they had to abort CCS project), where at that point it becomes a scandalous abuse of the environment. I think they will start making the mistake of developing and using CCS before they see Mantra's ERC as a solution only because there is money pumped to it right now. I hope I am way off and they come to realize the ERC option... but I think they will spend and have spent a lot of money on making mistakes first. Eventually, I think we will be the winners with ERC
JMHO
-Greener
It makes 100% sense to me.... politicians will not go for the moral choices till they know they can profit. Right now they get their buddies (probably the guys they cheated off of in High School) and come up with some hair brained idea about CCS. Then they act like they are a group of super heros saving the planet and raking in millions hand over fist.
Heres the good news, they will make advancement in Carbon capture which can then be easily be taken care of and processed into formic acid etc., by an ERC device.
They will absolutely tick off everybody with the Storage part..... It is so retarded and immoral that no one with a working brain will latch on to it..... They will be just another bubble of greed that we see all the time nowadays and it will pop quickly because by the time CCS makes any public moves..... Places like Korea will already have developed a real solution by supporting ERC and our gov will have wasted millions literally pumping money down a hole..... totally un- viable. Totally predictable. Only the people who keep their heads on their shoulders and support real solutions will come out winners in the end. This is an example of people in power pumping their pockets full of money by taking advantage of the situation. There is a reason that CCS is not well known yet.... it is an embarrassing failure and demeans the human race to the level of parents letting a cat bury turds in a sand box and thinking their kids will never get into it.
Something to think about... not to stress over just yet. Lets hope they open their eyes to ERC before we have a load of problems.
JMHO
-Greener
NI Technology Updates Outlooks for MEMC Electronic Materials, Corning, 3M, Semitool and O2Micro International
PRINCETON, N.J., Oct. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Next Inning Technology Research (http://www.nextinning.com/), an online investment newsletter focused on semiconductor and technology stocks, announced it has updated outlooks for MEMC Electronic Materials (NYSE:WFR), Corning (NYSE:GLW), 3M (NYSE:MMM), Semitool (NASDAQ:SMTL) and O2Micro International (NASDAQ:OIIM).
During the July earnings season, Editor Paul McWilliams was spot on. Not only was he the only one to predict Intel would report revenue of $8B, he laid out the details so accurately that one reader commented, "It was almost as though McWilliams wrote the script for the Intel conference call."
To help prepare Next Inning readers for another successful earnings season, Next Inning will finish publishing its special State of Tech series during the next week. In this series of reports, readers will find detailed data covering the sector leaders as well as some of the up and coming niche players, commentary about sector trends and specific calls as to which stocks McWilliams thinks readers should buy and which he thinks they should sell. During previous earnings seasons, these reports have accurately pointed out stocks for Next Inning readers that have doubled or better.
To read McWilliams' State of Tech reports, including his special, in depth Intel earnings preview that was published October 5th and his Apple coverage that will be released this week, you are invited to join us for a free no-risk 21-day test drive of Next Inning. During these 21 days you'll have full access to not only our special State of Tech reports, but also all of McWilliams' daily commentary about what to buy and what to avoid. Based on these ideas, the Next Inning portfolio has logged a 68% year-to-date return in 2009. To take us up on this special offer, please visit the following link:
https://www.nextinning.com/subscribe/index.php?refer=prn891
McWilliams covers these topics and more in his recent reports:
-- Is China's massive stimulus plan likely to drive a major expansion in solar power demand and push MEMC's stock price higher? Considering a potential spike in demand is MEMC stock now undervalued?
-- How much might Corning benefit from increased solar demand in China? Will Chinese demand for TVs and the continued proliferation of touch-screen devices underpin growth for Corning? Even though Corning is up 110% since McWilliams called it a buy in December, is the stock still notably undervalued compared to its peers?
-- How is 3M a potential play on increasing demand for high-end LCD TVs?
-- With Semitool more than tripling since McWilliams called it a buy, should investors be taking profits or could the stock still move another 50% higher from current prices?
-- O2Micro is up over 120% since McWilliams called it a good speculative investment in December. With sales of low-end LCD TVs into China continuing to boom, is O2Micro seeing strong demand for its CCFL backlight driver? Could this demand drive further upside in O2Micro's stock price?
Founded in September 2002, Next Inning's model portfolio has returned 223% since its inception versus 17% for the S&P 500.
About Next Inning:
Next Inning is a subscription-based investment newsletter that provides regular coverage on more than 150 technology and semiconductor stocks. Subscribers receive intra-day analysis, commentary and recommendations, as well as access to monthly semiconductor sales analysis, regular Special Reports, and the Next Inning model portfolio. Editor Paul McWilliams is a 30+ year semiconductor industry veteran.
NOTE: This release was published by Indie Research Advisors, LLC, a registered investment advisor with CRD #131926. Interested parties may visit adviserinfo.sec.gov for additional information. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investors should always research companies and securities before making any investments. Nothing herein should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.
CONTACT: Marcia Martin, Next Inning Technology Research, +1-888-278-5515
DATASOURCE: Indie Research Advisors, LLC
CONTACT: Marcia Martin, Next Inning Technology Research,
+1-888-278-5515
Web Site: http://www.nextinning.com/
I feel the same way.... realistically it will take time....I believe that the original windows OS spent some time in a guys garage before it took off and became one of the huge success stories of our time. Between the ERC, the mine wAter cleaning and fuel cell tech I think this is a platinum oppurtuniy
-Greener
3M Drug Delivery Systems Expands with New Singapore Lab
3M Drug Delivery Systems today announced the expansion of its capabilities with a new laboratory site at the 3M Singapore facility in Yishun. The Singapore lab will develop products in both the inhalation and transdermal drug delivery categories, bringing 3M’s innovative inhalers and patches to pharmaceutical customers and patients in the Asia Pacific region. The new lab complements 3M Drug Delivery Systems’ already well established global laboratory network, with sites in St. Paul, MN, U.S. and Loughborough, U.K.
“Expanding our presence in Singapore will help us provide Asia Pacific customers with a product development service that has both local and global capabilities,” said Jim Vaughan, Vice President and General Manager, 3M Drug Delivery Systems Division. “Our team in Singapore understands the region’s regulatory requirements, and is able to quickly respond to customer needs. Additionally, our global laboratory network helps us deliver the outstanding quality the 3M brand is known for.”
The laboratory is Drug Delivery Systems’ first contract research and development facility in the Asia Pacific region dedicated to pharmaceutical product development. The country’s infrastructure makes it an ideal hub for 3M’s Asia Pacific customers and Singapore’s scientific talent pool adds to the site’s appeal. The Drug Delivery Systems lab is staffed by a team of highly qualified chemists supported by 3M’s global laboratory organization, which has more than 50 years of experience in drug delivery. Products developed by the Singapore lab will be suitable for manufacture in 3M’s global network of manufacturing sites, and will be developed to conform to global standards.
The Singapore facility houses both a feasibility lab and two process development labs. Research conducted at the facility will contribute to 3M Drug Delivery Systems’ growing capabilities and product portfolio, which includes recent innovations in dry powder inhalers, pressurized metered dose inhalers, and microstructured transdermal systems.
For more information, visit www.3M.com/dds.
About 3M Drug Delivery Systems
3M Drug Delivery Systems partners with pharmaceutical and biotech companies to develop pharmaceuticals using 3M’s inhalation or transdermal drug delivery technology. 3M offers a full range of feasibility, development and manufacturing capabilities combined with regulatory guidance to help bring products to market. In-house resources, including toxicology, regulatory expertise, quality assurance, operations, and marketed product support, are available for each step of the development and commercialization process. This depth of resources is one reason why more than 50 percent of all metered-dose inhalers worldwide and 80 percent of all transdermal systems in the United States utilize 3M drug delivery technology. For more information, please visit www.3M.com/dds or call 1-800-643-8086.
About 3M Health Care
3M Health Care, one of 3M’s six major business segments, provides world-class innovative products and services to help health care professionals improve the practice, delivery and outcome of patient care in medical, oral care, drug delivery and health information markets.
3M is a trademark of 3M.
Hello sps50,
Was that an email conversation with Kol you posted? or a comment about the NY Times article?
Thanks
-Greener
Long article from the Calgary Times
Burying CO2: Fix or folly?
BY GRAHAM THOMSON, EDMONTON JOURNALOCTOBER 3, 2009COMMENTS (7)
STORYPHOTOS ( 1 )
LINK:
http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/energy-resources/Burying+folly/2064972/story.html
Dr. David Vincent reads the markings on the pipe that brings liquified CO2 from a coal gasification plant in North Dakota to Weyburn, Sask.
Photograph by: Joshua Sawka, Canwest News Service, File, Edmonton Journal
In 2008, Edmonton Journal columnist Graham Thomson was awarded a fellowship from the Canadian Journalism Foundation that gave him a year of academic and journalistic freedom to study any courses that caught his interest at the University of Toronto.
Besides dabbling in modern english poetry, he spent the 2008-09 academic year focused on energy and environmental issues, including the emerging technology of carbon capture and storage.
That led to an invitation from the Program on Water Issues at the Munk Centre for International Studies, which each year commissions an author to write a public policy report on a water-related topic that is then the focus of a day-long symposium at the U of T.
This year's topic was Burying Carbon Dioxide in Underground Saline Aquifers: Political Folly or Climate Change Fix? The result of Thomson's research was a 63-page report (25,000 words and 176 footnotes) that was peer reviewed by a group of scientists over the summer and then presented by Thomson at the U of T on Sept. 23.
Today, Sunday Reader presents a synopsis of Thomson's report:
It promises to clean our dirty coal, green the oilsands and save the global climate.
Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) -- a complicated title for what is essentially a simple concept.
Instead of continuing to send our emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal, we would capture the emissions in the smokestacks, compress them into a fluid and inject them deep underground.
Thus, CCS promises to turn our world upside down when it comes to our emissions of carbon dioxide.
Proponents argue a fully functional CCS system would fight global warming, while allowing us to continue with the seemingly contradictory practice that got us into the climate change predicament to begin with: burning huge quantities of fossil fuels.
Scientists working on CCS argue the technology will be safe and effective with careful site selection and management.
However, CCS technology is expensive, would require large amounts of fresh water and energy, and is unproven on an industrial level at the scale necessary to achieve significant climate change results.
Nobody knows how billions of tonnes of highly compressed carbon dioxide will behave underground over centuries. Could CO2 eventually leak and find its way into underground sources of drinking water (USDWs)?The challenges relating to CCS are enormous, but some scientists maintain that they can be met.
Leaders in the energy industry suggest we have little option but to embrace CCS. Lord Oxburgh of the Royal Dutch/Shell oil group is blunt: "Sequestration is difficult. But if we don't have sequestration, I see very little hope for the world."
However, detractors say CCS is what you do when you're in a hurry and have no plan "B."
Who's right?The clock is ticking. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, every tonne of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere contributes to global warming.
The best candidates for CCS are large point sources of emissions--the facilities that emit large amounts of CO2.These include industrial facilities such as cement plants, steel factories and most notably, coal-fired power plants.
The old adage that "coal is king" is as true today as it was a century ago.
It keeps the lights on, the fridge cold and the computer charged. You might communicate by cellphone and shop in cyberspace but you likely recharge your electronics via coal. Seventy per cent of the power in Alberta comes from coal-fired plants. In the United States, half of all electrical generation is thanks to coal.
There are over 600 coal-fired power plants in the United States and 21 in Canada.
Coal is inexpensive and abundant. It is also dirty. The average 600-megawatt power plant emits four to five million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year.
If we cannot or will not shut down the big emitters of CO2 we have to do something to shut down the emissions. That's where carbon capture and storage comes in.
The Pembina Institute, an environmental organization in Alberta, is candid. "The stakes are high," it said in a January 2008 report which pointed to CCS "as one of a number of potentially effective technologies for reducing GHG emissions on the scale required to combat dangerous climate change."
For the Pembina Institute, CCS is not a silver bullet for global warming but an arrow in a quiver. At this point, though, it's the biggest arrow we've got. Alternative energies (wind and solar) are expensive. Energy conservation is difficult. Nuclear power is controversial and expensive to construct. CCS carries the promise of business as usual with a minimum of inconvenience to the consumer. Under the promise of CCS, we can keep on burning massive amounts of fossil fuels.
To implement CCS on the scale necessary to combat global warming will be, in the words of a proponent, a "large, massive, daunting task." The words do not do it justice. The scale is staggering.
In Alberta, for example, the government wants to sequester five million tonnes of CO2 a year by 2015 in a$2-billion experiment.
In the next phase, it will be spending as much as $3 billion a year in conjunction with the federal government to sequester 30 million tonnes a year
By 2050, Alberta promises to be injecting 140 million tonnes a year. By comparison, the longest-running sequestration project in the world, Statoil's Sleipner project, currently injects a relatively tiny one million tonnes a year.
On a global context, sequestering one billion tonnes of carbon would mean building 3,600 injection projects on the scale of the Sleipner project. Some estimates say we should be sequestering 10 billion tonnes of CO2 a year globally to make a dent in the climate.
David Hawkins, head of the climate change program at the Natural Resources Defense Council and an advocate of CCS, says the scale should not be an impediment: "Yes, burying billions of tons of CO2 is a huge job, but that is not necessarily an argument against CCS. You can't solve a big problem without a big effort."
However, the effort necessary would not be merely "big" but so immense as to be impractical, according to Vaclav Smil, an energy expert at the University of Manitoba.
Smil, a self-described "intellectual agent provocateur," has declared "carbon sequestration is irresponsibly portrayed as an imminently useful option for solving the challenge (of global warming)."
Smil has estimated that simply capturing a fraction of global emissions and sequestering them in one year would require moving volumes of fluid CO2 on a scale similar to the worldwide transportation of oil, a massive enterprise requiring tens of years and trillions of dollars. "Beware of the scale," he said. "Sequestering a mere 1/ 10 of today's global CO2 emissions (about three billion tonnes)would thus call for putting in place an industry that would have to force underground every year the volume of compressed gas larger than or ...equal to the volume of crude oil extracted globally by the petroleum industry whose infrastructures and capacities have been put in place over a century of development. Needless to say, such a technical feat could not be accomplished within a single generation."
Which brings us back to Alberta's assurance that it is "committed to reducing projected emissions by 200 megatonnes by 2050--70 per cent of which will be achieved through CCS."
That target actually falls far short of the IPCC's recommended reductions for industrialized nations--but at this point nobody knows if Alberta, or anyone else, can even reach a moderate target via CCS.
It's not just Alberta politicians who may be getting ahead of themselves with CCS.
In 2008, U. S. President Barack Obama praised the promise of CCS in an interview with CBC by saying, "I think that it is possible for us to create a set of clean energy mechanisms that allow us to use things not just like oilsands, but also coal."
Canadian Environment Minister Jim Prentice has already proclaimed CCS a proven technology and he confidently predicted success tomorrow: "It is applied commercially in Enhanced Oil Recovery kinds of operations and it will be commercial in the future."
The reality of CCS is that it is as much about the politics as about the science or economics. The political assurances are premature, the promises ethereal, but for anyone dependent on fossil fuels the allure of "clean coal" is irresistible.
If CCS is to make coal "clean" it has to dispose of the dirty emissions somewhere. And that takes us deep underground.
To get a good idea of where to go about sequestering CO2 in Canada, perhaps the best source is the United States Department of Energy's website, which contains the Carbon Sequestration Atlas of the United States and Canada (Second Edition).
The Atlas is an impressive 140-page report with colourful, informative maps that graphically illustrate the locations of the largest emitters of carbon dioxide and the best locations to bury those emissions.
As the title suggests this is a transboundary investigation that looks at carbon sources and potential sequestration locations as if the 49th parallel didn't exist. And it surely does not exist underground in the geologic formations where Canada and the U. S. hope one day to bury a large portion of their carbon waste.
The Atlas is also a graphic illustration of how the Americans are looking at carbon sequestration, not merely as a national issue but as a continental strategy.
The best geologic formations for sequestering carbon dioxide are mature oil and natural gas reservoirs, deep unmineable coal seams and, most importantly, deep saline formations or aquifers. The aquifers are sponge-shaped rock formations filled with salt water and are prevalent throughout western North America, including Alberta and Saskatchewan.
They potentially have an enormous storage capacity for carbon dioxide estimated to range from 3,900 billion tonnes to 12,200 billion tonnes--enough theoretical space to sequester CO2 emissions for centuries. But the Atlas has a caveat: "Much less is known about saline formations because they lack the characterization experience that industry has acquired through resource recovery from oil and gas reservoirs and coal seams.
"Therefore, there is a greater amount of uncertainty regarding the suitability of saline formations for CO2 storage."
It is in saline aquifers that scientists plan to sequester most of our carbon dioxide emissions.
We can catch a glimpse of how carbon capture and sequestration might work on a grand scale by watching how it already works on the small. CCS is underway at three unrelated pilot projects in Weyburn, Sask., Algeria and off the coast of Norway where a total of roughly five million tonnes of CO2 is injected into geologic formations each year.
In each of these projects, the capture of the CO2 is not performed at a coal-fired plant but is part of the routine process of stripping excess CO2 during the production of natural or synthetic gas.
In the Weyburn project the liquefied CO2 is captured from a coal gasification plant in North Dakota, compressed into a fluid and shipped 330 kilometres by pipeline across the border to Saskatchewan.
There, it is injected underground not into a saline aquifer but into an old oil field to squeeze out more oil in a well-known process called enhanced oil recovery (EOR).
However, EOR is not the same as CCS. EOR has been employed over a relatively short term (decades) to recover oil from a depleted field. It is not concerned with storing carbon dioxide indefinitely, or even with keeping track of where the CO2 ends up after the EOR process is completed.
Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal explained the difference between the two in a cautionary speech in May to the 8th Annual Conference on Carbon Sequestration in Pittsburgh.
Freudenthal has high hopes for CCS but admitted the still unproven technology for long-term sequestration is "not ready for primetime." As Freudenthal points out, CO2 injected underground in a saline aquifer can form carbonic acid and if that happens "you have more than an adequate mixture to dissolve cement in an oilfield plug" and cause a leak.
That's why he says carbon capture and storage projects will have to be designed differently than enhanced oil recovery projects. "It is not proper to equate EOR activities automatically with CCS," he concludes.
Using CCS to recover more oil is, of course, economically attractive -so attractive that a recently released report on CCS for the Alberta government emphasizes the Enhanced Oil Recovery side of CCS, arguing that by injecting 450 million tonnes of carbon dioxide underground, the province could recover an extra 1.4 billion barrels of oil from conventional reservoirs worth $105 billion (assuming $75 per barrel of oil).
Let's look at that from a different angle. Burning three barrels of oil on average generates about one tonne of CO2 which means that burning those 1.4 billion barrels will produce about 444 million tonnes of CO2-almost exactly the amount of CO2 injected in the first place. In other words, Alberta could claim to have buried 450 million tonnes of CO2 but as far as the global climate is concerned almost no carbon dioxide would have been removed from the atmosphere.Gov.Freudenthal's warning points to another
concern with large-scale CCS: leaks of carbon dioxide through old oil and gas wells.
Western North America--the region where most of the CCS projects will take place--is a veritable pincushion of oil and gas wells, some dating back a century or more. Alberta has an estimated 350,000 oil and gas wells puncturing the earth.
There will be leaks.
David Keith, a CCS expert based at the University of Calgary, said as much in a paper investigating the leakage of wastewaster pumped deep underground in Florida that made its into underground sources of drinking water. The analogy to large scale CCS is inescapable.
"It seems unlikely that large-scale injection of CO2 can proceed without at least some leakage," concluded Keith. The answer, he says, is to create procedures "dealing with leaks when they occur."
Experts such as Keith think a catastrophic leak is a remote possibility and that the chance that a properly engineered CCS project would contaminate groundwater is a "long shot." Keith, a firm proponent of CCS, argues that any risks associated with CCS are far less than the consequences of allowing global warming to remain unchecked: "Just to put this in perspective, right now we kill 3,000 people a year from fine particulate pollution from coal-fired power plants. You've got to have some perspective on what the relative risks are."
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a supporter of limited CCS, predicts the vast majority of CO2 will stay in place.
The best sites would be those with strong cap rocks and few if any old wells puncturing the rock. "If, however, you have abandoned wells or if you have faults and fractures that create a short circuit for the water, it could go up those," says Dr. Sally Benson of Stanford University, also a proponent of CCS.
According to the MIT report The Future of Coal, "[t]here are large numbers of orphaned or abandoned wells that may not be adequately plugged, completed, or cemented...Little is known about the specific probability of escape from a given well, the likelihood of such a well existing within a potential site, or the risk such a well presents in terms of potential leakage volume or consequence."
It should be noted that coal-fired plants won't be injecting pure, food-grade CO2 into the ground but rather a soup of other elements and chemicals.
"Captured CO2 often contains various by-products of combustion processes such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulphur dioxide (SO2)as well as trace heavy metals including lead, mercury and cadmium," says a Greenpeace report into carbon capture and storage called False Hope.
The report warns that "co-storage of CO2 with sulphur dioxide (SO2) increases the risk of leakage due to its chemical properties. In contact with water, SO2 forms the highly corrosive sulphuric acid that more readily dissolves materials, such as the cement used to seal wells. A greater risk of leakage means higher likelihood of damage and liability.
"How much SO2, if any, to allow in captured CO2 streams will need to be determined."
The American Water Works Association --representing more than 4,600 utilities that supply water to 180 million people in North America--is afraid large-scale CCS projects could endanger underground sources of drinking water not just through leaks but through displacement of saline.
Simply put, the pressurized carbon dioxide plume injected over years could force salt water from the aquifer into underground sources of drinking water.
"This can cause saline aquifers located close to the carbon dioxide plume to be displaced into existing USDWs (Underground Sources of Drinking Water), contaminating the freshwater aquifer and rendering it unusable as a drinking water resource," said Don Broussard, a board director with the AWWA, in a presentation to the U. S. government in 2008.
What happens when we have a leak? Who is responsible?
At this point, we don't know. This uncertainty could bring large-scale CCS to a halt before it even gets started. The companies operating the sequestration sites would probably be liable during the sequestration process and government would probably take over after a site was decommissioned. But this remains undecided.
In the race to establish large-scale CCS projects, the United States is moving quickly to address the complicated questions of how to regulate the process and assign or assume liability.
In July 2008, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed new federal requirements for protecting the nation's drinking water to "address the unique nature of CO2 for GS[geological storage].The relative buoyancy of CO2, its corrosivity in the presence of water, the potential presence of impurities in captured CO2, its mobility within subsurface formations, and large injection volumes anticipated at full scale deployment warrant specific requirements tailored to this new practice."
Since 2005, the EPA has held seven workshops and two public stakeholder meetings on the effective management of geological carbon storage. Canada has held none.
This summer Natural Resources Canada helped create a federal-provincial CCS Network to coordinate various provincial and federal departments that are working on issues such as the protection of groundwater. However, like much of the CCS regulatory development in Canada, the workings of the provincial-federal CCS Network is a closed-door process that is difficult for the public to unlock.
Alberta, at this point, seems intent on regulating large-scale CCS with rules under its Class III well system that is designed for small-scale injection of acid gas through the Energy Resources Conservation Board. Acid gas is carbonic acid and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) that is stripped from sour gas wells and injected into geologic formations. The practice has been performed in western Canada for 20 years and, like enhanced oil recovery, is offered by proponents as proof that CCS can work safely.
Acid gas injections, however, are small compared with the plans for large-scale CCS. "The current ERCB requirements for acid gas injection need to be reviewed in light of the large volumes of CO2 which will be injected," says Mary Griffiths, a renowned former researcher on CCS and water issues for the Pembina Institute. Her position is bolstered by the EPA which studied acid gas injections in the U. S. and concluded new regulations are needed for full-scale CCS.
Alberta has a series of partnerships studying CCS, including the Heartland Area Redwater Project (HARP), the Alberta Saline Aquifer Project (ASAP), and the Wabamun Area CO2 Storage Project(WASP), demonstrating, among other things, a talent for acronyms
All are investigating a workable CCS system but none so far has an operating pilot project that captures CO2 from a coal-fired smokestack, transports it by pipeline and sequesters it in the earth. But then, nobody else in the world has managed to do that, either.
Full-scale CCS projects remain stubbornly attached to the drawing board. Some promising pilot projects, such as one in northern Germany, have been held up by public fear over injecting large amounts of CO2 underground. The opposition has been dubbed NUMBY--Not Under My Backyard.
The three to five pilot projects Alberta hoped to be approved this summer are still in negotiations with the province over funding. The number of potential projects has been reduced to three, at most.
None are in the oil sands.
A cautionary tale can be found in Alberta's oil sands that initially looked to CCS as a way to mitigate the industry's huge carbon footprint. With CCS, Premier Ed Stelmach was proud and optimistic that he had found a way to green the tar sands and improve his province's battered environmental image. "Alberta believes CCS can help ensure the economy and the environment both thrive in the 21st century. That is the backbone of Alberta's position, a pragmatic approach that will allow us to continue to make a significant contribution to the Canadian economy while at the same time protecting the environment."
However, oil sands companies have backed away from CCS, realizing the technology will likely not help the industry reduce CO2 pollution because the oil sands have too many diffuse emission sources, such as the huge trucks used in the extraction process. In 2008, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation obtained internal federal briefing notes that explained that CCS is better suited to large single-point industrial sources of CO2 such as coal-fired plants. "Only a small percentage of emitted CO2 is 'capturable' since most emissions aren't pure enough," the notes say. "Only limited near-term opportunities exist in the oil sands and they largely relate to upgrader facilities."
Despite this, the Alberta government insists CCS will somehow help the oil sands in a significant way. The government's assurance that 140 million tonnes of CO2 will be sequestered each year requires explanation. Even a firm supporter of CCS has his doubts. "I don't know where they got that 140 number from," says David Keith.
"The Alberta government to my knowledge does not have any substantive, bottom-up technological economic analysis that produces that number and the reality is that it is beyond anybody's ability to guess how the different technologies shake down by 2050."
Many sincere and credible scientists argue that CCS remains the best mitigation option and some environmental groups such as the Pembina Institute advocate for CCS as a bridging mechanism to reduce greenhouse gases while building and investing in renewable energy.
The technology holds the promise of massive reductions in emissions but any success may ultimately be limited to a relatively few projects due to cost, liability, technology, scale and public skepticism. CCS may turn out to be another costly Faustian bargain and classic technical fix.
Instead of buying us time to find alternate sources of clean energy, CCS is buying politicians' time to avoid making tough, unpopular decisions. The allure of CCS as a political fix threatens to divert resources from energy efficiency and delay more durable reforms.
"It is being used as the excuse for not doing anything," said Dr. David Suzuki in an interview. He compares CCS to dead-end, dangerous or destructive practices of the past, including widespread spraying of DDT, false hopes raised by nuclear fusion, and the dumping of nerve gas and other toxins into the oceans. "CCS is exactly the same thing based on the observation that when you pump carbon dioxide into the ground you can squeeze a little more oil out of a depleting well and low-and-behold the carbon doesn't come back out. What's it doing down there?...How long will it stay down?We have no idea."
Current CCS technology will also aggravate the growing energy-water nexus. It takes energy to move water and it takes water to make energy. Coal-fired power plants are among the largest users of water in both Canada and the United States and often compete with other industries for water.
Retrofitting coal-fired plants with CCS will increase energy demands by 20 to 30 per cent. As a consequence CCS could substantially increase freshwater consumption by fossil-based power plants.
Many economic alternatives to CCS exist but to date they have received little attention. They include the systematic reduction of fossil fuel consumption, improved energy efficiency, the control of fugitive emissions or leaks from the energy industry, a dedicated carbon tax, and the protection and restoration of important carbon sinks such as forests, grasslands and peat bogs. Technologies that capture carbon from the air or convert CO2 to formic acid may also prove to be more economic than CCS.
The Bottom Line
In sum, the marriage of a brave new technology with a political fix for an immediate climate problem could have negative long-term consequences for Canadian taxpayers and water drinkers without stabilizing the climate. If we ultimately decide to move forward on the sequestration of billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide in underground saline aquifers, we need strong regulations, clear liability, effective oversight, sound science and a transparent decision-making process. To do otherwise would be sheer folly.
© Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal
Wall Street journal online:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125476964655765445.html
Locals Try Sinking Plan to Store CO2 Underground
Germany's Coal-Burning Plants Are Aiming to Cut Emissions by Burying Them -- and That Isn't Going Over Well in Some Towns
Article
Slideshow
Comments (143)
MORE IN BUSINESS »
EmailPrinter
FriendlyShare:
facebook
↓ More
Save This
↓ More
Text
By GUY CHAZAN
Brandenburg, Germany
Ulf Stumpe is scared of carbon dioxide -- but not the stuff blamed for global warming. What worries him is the CO2 a local energy firm wants to inject into the earth thousands of feet under his village.
Mr. Stumpe is fighting plans by Vattenfall AB, the Swedish energy giant, to store millions of tons of the greenhouse gas in saline aquifers under the rolling fields of eastern Germany as part of an effort to reduce carbon emissions.
Carbon capture and storage, or CCS, is seen by many governments and energy companies as a key weapon in the battle against climate change. They say it would allow mankind to continue burning coal while reducing emissions believed to be contributing to global warming.
'No CO2 in Our Land'
View Slideshow
Alexa Vachon for The Wall Street Journal
More photos and interactive graphics
But as with other new technologies like wind power, local opposition can sometimes thwart global solutions. Germany is in the vanguard of CCS, but grass-roots protests are threatening to derail efforts to deploy the technology -- not just in Mr. Stumpe's Brandenburg home but across the country.
Mr. Stumpe, a 28-year-old veterinarian, is "not a violent man," he says. "But there are people here who will do whatever it takes to stop this."
If local backlashes don't slow adoption, high costs might. CCS has never been tested on a commercial scale in a power plant, and experts at the International Energy Agency say installing the technology will require €1 billion ($1.46 billion) per project -- a sum that some environmentalists say would cost more than other forms of renewable energy.
"Today CCS is not economic," says Dr. John Barry, who leads Royal Dutch Shell PLC's carbon-capture effort. "We're at a high-cost phase where we need outside support to bridge the commercial gap." The hope is that as countries cap their emissions, the price of carbon will gradually rise to make CCS economically viable, he says, while technology costs fall.
That, however, may be a long way off. Vattenfall acknowledges that at the current carbon price, the electricity produced in a CCS plant will be a third more expensive than from a normal station.
CCS involves separating out the CO2 produced by power plants, oil refineries and cement factories and pumping it under pressure into porous rock thousands of feet under the Earth's surface where, the thinking goes, it will stay safely trapped. The basic building blocks have existed for decades. Oil companies have long been injecting CO2 into the ground to improve recovery ratios. Experiments with carbon capture and storage are underway elsewhere. Last Thursday, Ohio-based American Electric Power Corp. began pumping CO2 deep underground beside its Mountaineer coal-fired power plant in New Haven, W. Va.
Oxyfuel Combustion
Click to see how CCS works .
The logic behind deploying CCS more widely is simple. Global energy demand is expected to be 45% higher in 2030 than it is now, according to the IEA. And with developing countries opening two new coal-fired power stations every week, much of the extra demand will be met by fossil fuels, despite the strong growth in nuclear power and renewable energy.
The European Union is now backing a rollout of carbon-capture technology. It wants to build between 10 and 12 CCS demonstration projects by 2015, and is offering about $1.5 billion from its economic-stimulus package and 300 million carbon credits from its emissions-trading system -- currently valued at about $8.8 billion. The Obama administration has also set aside $2.4 billion for CCS projects.
Vattenfall has an incentive to be in the vanguard of clean coal. As regulation pushes up the price of carbon, the company's coal-fired power stations in Germany will become much more costly to run. Last year, it opened Europe's first CCS pilot plant at the power station Schwarze Pumpe. It is now planning a much bigger demonstration plant in Jänschwalde, near Berlin. Vattenfall plans to pipe the CO2 sequestered there about 95 miles northward and deposit it deep below two small towns in the Brandenburg region, Neutrebbin and Beeskow.
But Vattenfall can't bury the CO2 it sequesters at Schwarze Pumpe because authorities have so far failed to provide the necessary permits. So the gas is either sold for industrial cleaning or just vented into the atmosphere.
Meanwhile, when Vattenfall in April unveiled its plan to store carbon in the Neutrebbin area, it triggered a storm of protest. Campaigners like Mr. Stumpe point to the sudden discharge of CO2 from Lake Nyos in Cameroon in 1986 that suffocated more than 1,700 people. But that gas was naturally occurring and, thus far, there have been no known releases of stored CO2.
Still, "people are worried about leaks," says Thomas Lautsch, Vattenfall Europe AG's head of CO2 storage. "They worry their kids will be suffocated, their cows will die, their property values will slump."
To reassure them, Dr. Lautsch, a mining engineer, organized around six town-hall meetings to explain Vattenfall's plans. Germany has more than 40 natural-gas storage sites, many of them under residential areas, he said. If people could accept natural gas on their doorsteps, why not the less-dangerous CO2?
Besides, he told villagers, the saline aquifers here were perfect for CO2 storage. They contain brine that is unfit for human consumption and are capped by solid layers of rock that are impermeable to liquids and gas.
Many scientists back his arguments. They point to the experience of the Norwegian oil company StatoilHydro ASA, which for the last decade has been stripping CO2 out of the natural gas it produces at its Sleipner field in the North Sea and burying it deep underground. None of it has leaked.
"Sleipner is a success story, and there's no reason why it shouldn't work in other places," says Mike Stephenson, head of science at the British Geological Survey. "The science we've done so far shows geological storage is a safe proposition." He added that CCS will typically use formations where oil and gas had been trapped for millions of years.
But in Neutrebbin, Dr. Lautsch's attempts at reassurance met with resistance. Soon, locals were putting up posters in their windows with the words: "We are not guinea pigs!" A group of farmers said they won't let Vattenfall onto their property to conduct tests.
The veterinarian Mr. Stumpe was one of the most active opponents, organizing meetings and getting petitions signed. He says he is worried by the absence of data to show how greenhouse gases will behave decades or centuries after they have been buried.
Vattenfall isn't alone in encountering resistance. RWE AG, one of Germany's largest power producers, is facing opposition to its plans to pump carbon from a new power plant in the Ruhr industrial area to the north German region of Schleswig-Holstein. Vattenfall also had to postpone plans to deposit CO2 in northern Denmark after local farmers blocked access to their land. Its plans for Neutrebbin and Beeskow are also in limbo: The Brandenburg authorities have so far refused to allow the company to explore the area.
Germany's government is also cooling on CCS. It passed a draft law creating a legal framework for carbon capture in April, but then shelved it until after national elections last month, as the anti-carbon campaigns intensified.
Dr. Lautsch says he understands that gaining public acceptance will be an uphill struggle. "It will take a year of dialogue for people to accept what we do," he says.
Good news for Mantra from New York Times online
http://www.nytimes.com/October 6, 2009, 9:43 AM
Canadian Study Scrutinizes Carbon Capture
By JOHN LORINC
Earthquakes and other unexpected events could be catastrophic, a study suggests.
In the face of mounting support for clean coal and the billions being invested in carbon capture and storage, or C.C.S., technology, a new assessment from the University of Toronto’s Munk Center for International Studies has a stern warning for policy-makers: there could be dramatic unintended environmental consequences to sequestering huge amounts of carbon dioxide in the earth’s mantle.
The study, released in late September, was commissioned by the center’s Program on Water Issues.
The push for C.C.S. is largely based on the energy industry’s experience with enhanced oil recovery, a technique for pumping carbon dioxide into dwindling oil wells in to force out the remaining crude.
One major got under way at a West Virginia coal-fired power plant last Thursday.
But the paper’s author, Graham Thomson, a journalist at The Edmonton Journal, argues that there’s a unproven leap between enhanced oil recovery projects and long-term, large-scale carbon capture and storage.
“The politicians are saying we can do this, and the scientists are saying, ‘we don’t know,’” says Mr. Thomson, who covers provincial politics.
Among the potential hurdles — and hazards — that the technology faces, according to Mr. Thomson:
• Scale: Achieving the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s long-term sequestration goals means boosting deep geological carbon dioxide storage from about 5 megatons per year to more than 22,000 megatons annually by the end of the century — an “unprecedented” undertaking that Mr. Thomson says will involve extensive new facilities and pipelines that would rival the world’s oil industry infrastructure.
• Water Contamination: In a typical carbon-capture scheme, the carbon dioxide is supposed to be injected into deep, extensive saline aquifers, where it dissolves or binds to subterranean mineral deposits. But the quantities being discussed are so large, Mr. Thomson warns, that experts are increasingly concerned that the CO2 will displace the brine, causing it to contaminate groundwater reserves.
• Water Use: “The process required to capture and then compress carbon dioxide at a conventional coal-fired plant will need much more water than the same plant without carbon capture technology because carbon capture technology is energy-intensive,” writes Mr. Thomson, citing an Australian study showing the coal plants with C.C.S. could be a 25 percent to 33 percent more water intensive.
• Unexpected Leaks: Earthquakes, geological fractures, and old oil wells all represent potential escape routes for CO2 that’s supposed to be locked beneath the nonporous rock caps sitting atop saline aquifers. Mr. Thomson says the risks include the release of contaminants buried with the CO2, as well as leaks of a gas that can poison plants, animals and humans.
• Liability: Suitable aquifers straddle national borders, and it’s not yet clear how damage costs should be apportioned in the event of a catastrophic leak.
Mr. Thomson points out that the United States Environmental Protection Agency has initiated an extensive public and technical consultation on the appropriate form of C.C.S. regulation, but nothing of the sort is occurring in Canada, despite Alberta’s move to invest $2 billion in the technology.
For sure....
......but the greed and inside negotiations sometimes allow people in those positions to look out for their own gain... Heres to hoping that Mantra can use the time now to get thru to them so we can get this going in a big way.
-Greener
Wow, that article cuts to the point.... and very cool eagle shot BTW.
My biggest concern is that a country like China will adopt a way to deal with CO2 that is not as good as Mantra and then be stuck with it, or too proud to switch. I am probably being negative... but the way people latch on to CCS which is not even a viable solution makes me worried. If I would switch to a positive outlook .... I would say the world is primed and ready to embrace the ERC technology..... It can't get out there soon enough IMO
-Greener
That is a nice shot of Larry.....very cool.
-Greener
AnalystChoice.com Brings You the Best Complimentary Research Report on TXN, CNI, MDU, UIS, NSM and MMM
NEW DELHI, INDIA -- (Marketwire) -- 10/06/09 -- Analyst Choice has combined some of the best financial and technical minds worldwide to bring you an array of free quality equity research and reporting. Today we have begun in-depth reporting on our website evaluating the current market condition of Texas Instruments Inc. (NYSE: TXN), Canadian National Railway Company (NYSE: CNI), MDU Resources Group Inc. (NYSE: MDU), Unisys Corporation (NYSE: UIS), National Semiconductor Corporation (NYSE: NSM) and 3M Co. (NYSE: MMM).
You can now access these reports with many others by signing up for free at
http://www.analystchoice.com/
While the world economy undergoes enormous pressure and unprecedented actions are been taken to avoid the worst and boost the shrinking global economic growth, our analysts brings you a bird's eye view of how the big players in the different key sectors and industries of the NASDAQ and NYSE, are coping. Sign up now by visiting the following link and receive free access to the CFA reports listed in this release.
http://www.analystchoice.com/
Our research and reporting style takes you closer to the basics and allows you to understand the company's lifecycle on a peer-to-peer and company-to-industry level.
By opting to register for our free membership on http://www.analystchoice.com/, you will have access to these reports & opinions. You can expect to have a brief analysis on the different key aspects of these companies, that is:
-- Corporate Analysis
-- Financial Reporting
-- Sector & Industry Scrutiny
-- Buy, Hold, Sell Opinion
-- Technical Summary
We offer you proper technical guidance on your investment strategies; you simply have to contact us for general inquiries on info@analystchoice.com or for support on contactus@analystchoice.com
AnalystChoice.com is an independent financial research portal and as such has not received any compensation by any of the above mentioned companies.
NYSE:TXN NYSE:CNI NYSE:MDU NYSE:UIS NYSE:NSM NYSE:MMM
Pinnacle Digest made the invitation to join at:
http://www.pinnacledigest.com/company/mvtg
However, i notice it is relatively new and there is minimal activity and one old post. So I will post an invitation to join us here. Anyone who is aware of a message board of this sort should probably do the same so that the volume of interest finds us in one spot for discussion. If you want me to post invitations... please be sure to post any links that you find to these types of boards, then i will make the invitation. I appreciate everyones cooperation and I believe before too long this will be a hot topic here.
JMHO
-Greener
Pinnacle Digest: Opinions Requested After Appointment of Mr. Jae Choon Ryu: Review Initiated by Online Financial Magazine and Investor Social Network
Tue. October 06, 2009; Posted: 03:41 AM
Are you looking to increase your ETF knowledge?
Look up the PowerRating of MVTG,MVTG and see how it has performed over the past week as well as the current proprietary PowerRating.
Oct 06, 2009 (M2 PRESSWIRE via COMTEX) -- MVTG | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- www.PinnacleDigest.com is a performance-driven online financial magazine and social network with a proven track record. After yesterday's news from Mantra Venture Group Ltd. (OTCBB: MVTG | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) which announced the appointment of Mr. Jae Choon Ryu as Vice President of Corporate Finance, Korea, our team is inviting all shareholders to their exclusive investor controlled forum. Our staff and members have requested that all Mantra Venture shareholders join our community and share their thoughts on the company, its development and future outlook. One of the most important aspects when we research for new investments is to understand the sentiment of the current shareholders; that is why we have released this announcement - we want to know your opinion.
Join The Mantra Venture Investor Discussion Here: http://www.pinnacledigest.com/company/mvtg
Join PinnacleDigest.com to
Find out if Mantra Venture makes it as a Pinnacle Featured Company,
Chat with other shareholders invested in Mantra Venture
Explain to our investor community what differentiates this company,
Connect with investors and professionals in the equity markets,
Meet the thousands of investors who have already become members of the Pinnacle community.
PinnacleDigest.com is an investment club comprised of over 15,000 members. We use all of our member's insight when selecting our next investment opportunity. Your membership is free - join today.
PinnacleDigest.com has no vested interest in the company mentioned herein. The company mentioned in this release has not compensated PinnacleDigest.com in any form to disseminate this release.
This source of information is from an unbiased perspective. If you wish to become a member of www.pinnacledigest.com you will be gaining access to articles similar to this one and many other useful services we know you will find valuable. Keeping you educated and up-to-date with the market is one of our main purposes. Our approach in achieving this goal and our ability to consistently deliver high quality investment material is what defines our business model.
This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of any offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction.
All material herein was prepared by Pinnacledigest.com (Pinnacle Digest) based upon information believed to be reliable. The information contained herein is not guaranteed by Pinnacledigest.com to be accurate, and should not be considered to be all-inclusive. The companies that are discussed in this opinion have not approved the statements made in this opinion. This opinion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. This material is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as an offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell securities. Pinnacledigest.com is not a licensed broker, broker dealer, market maker, investment banker, investment advisor, analyst or underwriter. Please consult a broker before purchasing or selling any securities viewed on or mentioned herein. Pinnacledigest.com may receive compensation in cash or shares from independent third parties or from the companies mentioned.
Pinnacledigest.com will not advise as to when it decides to sell and does not and will not offer any opinion as to when others should sell; each investor must make that decision based on his or her judgment of the market.
THE READER SHOULD VERIFY ALL CLAIMS AND DO THEIR OWN DUE DILIGENCE BEFORE INVESTING IN ANY SECURITIES MENTIONED. INVESTING IN SECURITIES IS SPECULATIVE AND CARRIES A HIGH DEGREE OF RISK.
This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may", "future", "plan" or "planned", "will" or "should", "expected," "anticipates", "draft", "eventually" or "projected". You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a companies' annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and Pinnacledigest.com undertakes no obligation to update such statements.
CONTACT: Pinnacle Digest WWW: http://www.pinnacledigest.com
((M2 Communications disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to info@m2.com.
For full details for MVTG click here.
I can't wait till they get a commercial style reactor completed that they can truck around and demo......I believe that is one of the goals of the KC Cottrell LOI. Pictures of that baby will be impressive and definitely article worthy.... Not to mention if it is done before the 2010 Winter Olympics.
-Greener
That is what I would say as well.... like a good old fashioned write up in a well circulated magazine. Heck,..... tell National Geographic to consider a write up as this technology will have a great impact on the landscape....no CO2 pollution coming out of those tower pipes is a beautiful thing.... am I right?
-Greener
I agree,
I usually post mornings and evenings if I am not busy.... we should rouse interest from some of the other boards and get them to post here as well.
Wadaya say?
-Greener