By carbon capture and sequestration we mean a technique where we confine the carbon dioxide (CO₂) produced by large combustion plants.
There are three different methods to capture CO₂ :
- Directly from combustion flows, by absorbing it in a specific chemical solvent. Afterwards, it is separated from the solvent and compressed in order to be transported and stored. This methodology is called post combustion.
- Before the combustion, the combustible is convertible into hydrogen and CO₂ through a process called gasification. The hydrogen can be used as a combustible for electricity production and potentially to fuel hydrogen cars and engines.
- Oxy-fuel: the hydrogen necessary to the combustion is separated from the air before the process of combustion, thus producing CO₂ that is more concentrated and easy to treat.
At present, the debate is strictly related to the possibility offered by the technology of bordering the loss of massive amounts of CO₂ after geological events or a gradual leak in the atmosphere for a prolonged time.
Editor: Claudio DICEMBRINO
© 2009 ASSONEBB