Large-scale carbon storage possible in Alberta - at a cost, researchers say
By Dan Healing, Calgary HeraldMarch 12, 2010 12:02 PM
CALGARY - “Huge amounts” of carbon dioxide can be stored underground in Alberta, says a University of Calgary-led study released Friday, although it adds cost is a concern and more study needs to be done.
The study, paid for by two councils backed by the provincial and federal governments and industry, concludes it is “technologically feasible” to store 500 million tonnes of CO2 in a 5,000-square-kilometre area without managing the pressure of the geologic formation into which it is would be injected.
But the team of 16 university researchers and industry consultants started out with the prospect of one billion tonnes — 20 million tonnes per year of carbon dioxide over 50 years — in a study of the feasibility, cost and potential risk of permanent underground storage.
The 500 million tonnes is roughly equivalent to half the emissions for 30 years from all of Alberta’s centrally located coal-fired power plants, the report notes.
The study, called the Wabamun Area CO2 Sequestration Project or WASP, was coordinated by the Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy at the university.
The Alberta government has committed $2 billion to help kick-start four commercial-scale CCS projects as a key way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, especially from coal-fired power plants.
dhealing@theherald.canwest.com
