CO2 capture, transport and sequestration/use

CO2 capture, transport and sequestration/use

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is recognised as having a significant role to play in reducing carbon dioxide emissions and tackling climate change. In CCS schemes, carbon dioxide is captured from anthropogenic sources, and transported to suitable sites either for EOR (Enhanced Oil Recovery) or storage.

Our work on CCS transport forms part of the UK Carbon Capture and Storage Consortium (UKCCSC) initiative. The consortium is composed of engineering, technological, natural, environmental, social and economic scientists from 14 universities and research institutes within the UK researching the technical, economical and social impact of CCS. The aim of the project is to deliver viable large-scale CCS options for the UK.

Newcastle University is also part of the N8 Research Partnership of universities in the north of England working on carbon capture and storage, together providing a fully integrated system approach to research and development of CCS technologies, supported by strong industrial links with companies including BP, Doosan Power Systems, E.ON, Scottish and Southern and others. For more information please see Newcastle and the N8 Research Partnership.

Newcastle’s key research areas include:

Carbon capture

  • Newcastle, with St. Andrews, leads the 13-university EPSRC ‘SUPERGEN: Delivery of Sustainable Hydrogen’ consortium; much of this work involves integration with carbon capture processes
  • Membranes – developing high temperature highly selective hydrogen and oxygen permeable ceramic membranes for processes which include carbon capture
  • Membrane-based oxyfuel combustion – ceramic membranes for air separation integrated with the combustion process
  • Chemical looping – new materials for improved chemical looping processes for hydrocarbon combustion and hydrogen production with carbon capture
  • Carbon capture and retention in soils.

Storage

  • Caprocks – project with Calgary, Herriot Watt, Cardiff and Leeds, a reservoir engineering project aimed at minimising risk of leakage.
  • Reservoir seal integrity – permeability and compressibility of highly compacted fine-grained sediments. Expertise in geochemistry, geomechanics and petrophysics.
  • Petroleum geoscience links: Herriot Watt, Aberdeen, Imperial.
  • Geology of oil fields; oil chemistry

Transportation

  • CO2 pipeline technology; Petroleum geoscience
  • Modelling effect of CO2 impurities on pipeline hydraulics
  • Assessment of the technical requirements for onshore and offshore CO2 transport systems in the UK.
  • Economic assessment of viable transport options.
  • Examination of the viability of the existing infrastructure for CO2 transport.
  • Investigation of additional regulations that may be needed for CO2 transport and how they might affect system design and equipment choice.

Other Activities

  • Chemical conversion of CO2 for added value.

Equipment

  • GC
  • mass spec
  • organic analysis
  • stressing and straining rocks
  • electron microscop
  • ocean bottom instruments
  • rock sectioning; seismic surveying