Geological storage of CO2 is by professionals recognised as one of the best solutions to limit the climate change problem. The WESTCARB partnership is developing storage sites in six US states for removing CO2 from the atmosphere. DNV will develop new verification systematics.

Carbon sequestration: The ‘capture’ of CO2 for further long-term storage away from the atmosphere. CO2 can be captured in two basic ways – by enhancing natural processes that remove it from the air and by applying industrial processes that remove it from fuel gas or exhaust gas at major ‘point sources’, such as power plants, oil refineries, and cement plants.

Larry Myer Project manager WESTCARB

Although the USA does not participate in the Kyoto Protocol, it has initiated a number of measures to combat the problem of CO2 emissions. Established in 2003, WESTCARB (West Coast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership) is one of seven research partnerships co-funded by the U.S. Department of Energy to explore regional carbon sequestration opportunities and conduct pilot-scale validation tests.

Having identified the major sources of man-made CO2 in its territory, WESTCARB planned a number of storage demonstration pilots last year which they now are putting into action.

“We will explore opportunities for removing CO2 from the atmosphere,” says project manager Dr. Larry Myer, who is employed at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. “This will be done by enhancing natural processes and by capturing the CO2 at industrial facilities before it is emitted, both of which will help slow the atmospheric build up of this greenhouse gas and its associated climatic effects,” he explains.

The WESTCARB research partnership has over 70 partners, and this year DNV will join as an active research partner, sponsored by the Norwegian Research Council. The goal is to arrive at systematics that enables verification of emission reductions so that these can be included in CO2 accounts. Such systematics will also form a basis for calculating emission credits that companies can invest in, just like the Kyoto Protocol makes arrangements for.

Multiple solutions required
“Slowing and ultimately reducing man-made CO2 emissions is a complex challenge that will require multiple solutions, including more efficient energy use, alternative fuels, electric-drive transportation, electricity from non-CO2-emitting energy sources, and carbon sequestration,” states Larry Myer.

DNV will contribute on aspects of storage of CO2 in underground reservoirs. The collaboration will cover large-scale testing, modelling, data gathering and risk assessments. Among other things, DNV will develop a method for calculating how much CO2 is actually permanently abated. Thus a confirmed value can be obtained regarding the actual prevented emissions when for example natural gas is being burnt in power stations where the separated CO2 from the combustion process is pumped down into underground reservoirs again.

Verification statement
“In particular, DNV will look more closely at verification systematics for the whole chain of capture, transportation, storage and post-storage of CO2. Loss occurrences will take place in all links, and it will be of vital importance to be able to quantify these. At the end of the day we want to issue a ‘verification statement’ to all emission reduction projects where the CO2 is stored underground,” he states.

Using current technology, an emission volume equivalent to very many times the world’s annual emissions can be stored in reservoirs for thousands of years. However, many pieces of the jigsaw puzzle have to be put in place before such a solution can be implemented.

Wide experience
Over the past seven years, DNV has been involved in various projects and programmes concerning all aspects of the climate change gas issue.

“We have high hopes for this collaboration,” concludes Larry Myer.