CCS shines at the Rutgers Energy Institute

We didn’t know much about Rutgers University’s energy research until we met Ben, a Rutgers graduate student, at the Research Experience in Carbon Sequestration in New Mexico.

Ben, who is studying atmospheric science, believes that carbon capture and storage (CCS) is “an important ingredient in solving the problem of global warming.” Hearing how passionate he felt about clean coal technology got us interested in learning more about Rutgers’ climate and energy programs.

We were excited to discover the Rutgers Energy Institute (REI), a center that integrates the university’s expertise in science and engineering and puts it toward alternative energy research – including CCS and the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. Just this month, REI received almost $8 million in federal grants from the National Science Foundation.

According to the REI Web site, the CCS research focuses on:

•Developing technology to capture CO2 from coal-generated power plants and other point sources such as oil refineries and cement factories

•Exploring the potential for large-scale and long-term storage of CO2 in both onshore and offshore geologic formations

It’s no wonder Ben is so motivated about pushing CCS forward – he’s got the right resources behind him to help pave the way for a clean coal technology future.

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Comments

[rearden215]

I really do not understand why we have become so interested in CCS technology as an answer to the problem of 'global warming'.

CCS offers little more than to sweep the carbon problem under the proverbial carpet. This, in itself, is a tacit admission of our being the only party in the pantheon of energy producers guilty of combusting carbon which is neither fair, nor true.

I am growing weary of watching our industry submitting itself to the role of energy whipping boy while other carbon combusting segments ride down Main Street, waving their hands to adoring press members as the lead float in the Parade of Green Posers.

We have spent unfathomable amounts of money supporting research for technologies to separate impurities from our own coal; have operated incredibly complex preparation plants striving to reduce the emissive load at the fireside; we have begun full lifecycle responsibility programs for combustion by-products and we still find ourselves pilloried by the press and the environmental movement.

I continue to maintain that the problem is not coal. The problem is the demand side.

[Monica from ACCCE]

Our members know that CO2 is going to become regulated in this country and are planning for that with technology investments right now.

Part of these investments can be seen in new power plants currently under development. The structure and engineering of these facilities will allow them to be retrofitted with the latest carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies when they become available.

Even without CCS technology, power plants being developed today are far more efficient and emit far fewer pollutants than the older facilities they are to replace.

Finally, our ever-increasing electricity demand dictates that we must start the process of building new plants now. Because coal is domestically abundant and provides almost half of the electricity we use today, replacing it with a higher-cost fuel would raise energy prices for many Americans.