28 Jun 2010 01:06:14
CCS 'should not be used to justify emissions'
A new study has suggested that carbon capture and storage (CCS) may not be a viable option for helping the world cut its carbon emissions.
Published in the journal Nature Geoscience, the study identifies issues with leakage and cost which could hamper the use of CCS.
The report suggested that storing carbon in the ocean would lead to increased acidity in the water and there was a greater risk of leakage due to ocean currents and storms.
Storing the gas underground was said to be the preferred method of CCS. However, the report stated that the length of time the gas would have to remain underground – in the region of 10,000 years – made it similar to nuclear waste.
Author of the study Gary Shaffer, a professor at the Danish Centre for Earth System Science in Humlebaek, Denmark, said: "The dangers of carbon sequestration are real and the development of CCS should not be used as a way of justifying continued high fossil fuel emissions."
The report was released just says after the Committee on Climate Change recommended to the UK government that it should consider installing CCS technology at gas-fired power stations to ensure the country meets its carbon reduction targets.
