Will we ever have effective carbon capture technology?

Carbon capture has been heralded as a way to decarbonise heavy industries, negating emissions from fossil fuel generation and allowing coal mining to continue.

Yet it faces huge challenges, with operations failing to deliver the big emissions savings needed to turn carbon capture into a viable commercial enterprise in Australia.

In 2021 for example, the SMH reported that Chevron’s world-leading Gorgon gas plant in Western Australia came up millions of tonnes short on its projected five-year emissions savings of 80%. This leaves it facing a bill of around $230 million.*

We talked to Jim Snow, Executive Director of Oakley Greenwood and Adjunct Professor at the University of Queensland, about the true potential of carbon capture, the challenges, and how existing facilities can be utilised to harness the power of other emerging technologies.

Gorgon demonstrates the challenges of successful carbon capture

As the SMH reports, Chevron started to explore carbon capture options in 1998, to mitigate the high CO2 emissions of its Gorgon gas field.

Using a complex procedure, Chevron planned to extract and store the gas before it entered the LNG plant, using three levels of wells. The CO2 would be injected into a sandstone layer two kilometres underground. A second set of wells four kilometres down would bring water to the surface, easing pressure. The water would then be injected underground by a third group of wells.

Yet the entire process has been plagued by problems.

• Excess water mixed with CO2 caused equipment to corrode.
• Major modifications meant CO2 injection was put back to August 2019.
• The WA Government ordered a redesign to prevent excess pressure fracturing the sandstone and damaging system performance.
• Cracked heat exchangers required significant repair.

Carbon capture has role in achieving net zero

Prof Snow acknowledges the problems it faces and the questions it raises. Are we just prolonging use of carbon fuel rather than going the full clean option? How long can we keep the carbon down there, without escape? Will it ever be economic at scale?

But he says carbon capture has a distinct role to play in the nation’s transition to net zero over the next 30 years.

'The problems are real, but carbon capture will be part of the mix going forward. Even at net zero, we’ll probably still be using some gas and oil for certain projects,' he said.

He regards some of the teething problems as inevitable, pointing to the poor returns produced by the earliest solar panels.

'Every technology encounters it, it’s part of the whole development cycle. There is still
scope for improvement and advance in this sector.'

Gas critical as transition fuel going forward

Prof Snow, a qualified chemical engineer, is also supportive of gas as a transitional fuel. He highlights its role in helping South Australia bring down carbon emissions, backed by wind and solar power.

'As it stands, gas will bring emissions down much faster than any other current technology. This could be harnessed on the east coast quite quickly. Gas has the advantage over coal that it can be quickly turned on and off, when wind and solar reserves are low,' he said.

'Backed by batteries and pumped hydro, the entire grid can be supported. We also have the potential to decarbonise the gas in the future, using all existing infrastructure – including generators – to produce renewable methane.'

Blended technologies boost carbon capture potential

According to the IEA, carbon capture offers one of the only ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in heavy industries that rely on high temperatures and electricity consumption.*

Yet Prof Snow insists other fledgling technologies are able to turn this stored carbon gas into a green power resource that can be harnessed and exported – cost effectively - at scale.

'The real potential of carbon capture? We use the carbon captured to produce green methane. By methanating hydrogen, it is then so much easier and cheaper to export than hydrogen itself,' he said.

'We could export it to Tokyo, for instance, as green LNG, which is a very attractive proposition.'
The role of government in developing low carbon industries

In Prof Snow’s opinion, the federal government needs to take a broader view of emerging low carbon technologies, and not get hung up on the big-ticket allure of carbon capture and hydrogen.

'I think the government is right to be tech-agnostic, with all options on the table to help us get to net zero. But the transition is being driven by banks and private enterprise, with the government slow to catch up.'

In his view, ‘following the trend’ won’t cut it as we push towards the 2050 goal.

'We’re in transition, and carbon capture and hydrogen won’t solve all our problems. We need to harness the smartest scientific and engineering brains in Australia, rather than letting the heavy lifting happen overseas. This means actively developing home-grown industries like biogas and green methane, which show huge potential in trials,' he said.

'This is how we’ll get to net zero and create a booming energy industry right here, utilising our existing generation infrastructure. We just need the right support and funding to make it happen.'

So, will we ever have a successful carbon capture industry?

According to Columbia University’s Centre on Global Energy Policy, there is cause for optimism, with rapidly advancing global technology proving safe and broadly effective. Yet senior research scholar Julio Friedmann notes that it may ultimately be more efficient when used within a hydrogen infrastructure.*

We’re not quite there yet.