By SCOTT SIMPSON COMMENTS(12) INNOVATION
Filed under: natural gas, climate change, coal, carbon capture, weyburn, cenovus
A Saskatchewan report that the world's first commercial carbon capture project
is failing could be grave news for those involved in efforts to blunt humanity's
contribution to climate change.It's a story with global implications, potentially
bad ones, for the energy sector.A farm couple whose property sits over a
Cenovus oilfield in Weyburn, Sask. which is supposed to be serving as
the permanent storage site for more than 15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide -
on Tuesday released a consultant's report which says the CO2 is leaking into
their soil.The Weyburn project, which has received millions of dollars in
government funding and is owned by Cenovus Energy, has been trumpted
for a decade as the international flagship for technology that would allow the
continued use of fossil fuels including coal and natural gas without adverse
environmental impacts.
According to Canadian Press reports on the web site of the Winnipeg Free Press,
the couple paid for the report themselves after the Saskatchewan government -
which derives an increasingly significant portion of its revenue from the oil and gas
industry - ignored their request for an investigation.
According to Canadian Press reports on the web site of the Winnipeg Free Press,
the couple paid for the report themselves after the Saskatchewan government -
which derives an increasingly significant portion of its revenue from the oil and gas
industry - ignored their request for an investigation.
A disturbing part of this story is that the couple have reportedly been complaining
about the situation - including carbonation in pond water and explosions on their
land - since 2006. Carbon dioxide and its equivalent gases, emitted during
industrial processes, have been identified by the international scientific community
as primary accelerators of climate change - including increased weather volatility,
about the situation - including carbonation in pond water and explosions on their
land - since 2006. Carbon dioxide and its equivalent gases, emitted during
industrial processes, have been identified by the international scientific community
as primary accelerators of climate change - including increased weather volatility,
ocean acidification, flooding and drought. Coal and gas fired electricity generation
plants, as well as gas and oil processing facilities, are among the world's largest producers of carbon dioxide.Finding a way to capture and store those CO2
emissions, rather than dump them into the atmosphere, is considered an essential
step in development of new fossil fuel-derived resources - such as coal-fired
plants, as well as gas and oil processing facilities, are among the world's largest producers of carbon dioxide.Finding a way to capture and store those CO2
emissions, rather than dump them into the atmosphere, is considered an essential
step in development of new fossil fuel-derived resources - such as coal-fired
electricity for both the developing world as well as replacement of aging coal
generating plants in Canada, the United States, and elsewhere.Governments
around the world, along with multinational corporate partners in the fossil fuel
industry, are spending billions of dollars to research and develop methods to
capture carbon dioxide emissions and storing the CO2 in deep underground
wells.
generating plants in Canada, the United States, and elsewhere.Governments
around the world, along with multinational corporate partners in the fossil fuel
industry, are spending billions of dollars to research and develop methods to
capture carbon dioxide emissions and storing the CO2 in deep underground
wells.
The carbon capture and storage project in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, has been
cited as a world-leading example of the technology since it commenced operation
in 2000, and really the only venue in the world that can offer more than a year or
two's worth of evidence that carbon capture can succeed - or fail.
cited as a world-leading example of the technology since it commenced operation
in 2000, and really the only venue in the world that can offer more than a year or
two's worth of evidence that carbon capture can succeed - or fail.
ps, in response to some reader comments, below, I'm adding this clip from story
I wrote last year about carbon capture and storage, or CCS:
I wrote last year about carbon capture and storage, or CCS:
"At Weyburn we have been operating at a commercial scale for over 10 years so
indeed there is commercial scale CCS, " Cenovus Energy executive vice-president
for environment and strategic planning Judy Fairburn said at a Globe conference
panel discussion in Vancouver. Cenovus -- a subsidiary of EnCana -- has spent
more than $1 billion developing the facility, which is sequestering 2.2 million tonnes
of CO2 per year, and is the subject of an International Energy Agency audit
because it is likely to serve as a global prototype. "To put the impact further into
indeed there is commercial scale CCS, " Cenovus Energy executive vice-president
for environment and strategic planning Judy Fairburn said at a Globe conference
panel discussion in Vancouver. Cenovus -- a subsidiary of EnCana -- has spent
more than $1 billion developing the facility, which is sequestering 2.2 million tonnes
of CO2 per year, and is the subject of an International Energy Agency audit
because it is likely to serve as a global prototype. "To put the impact further into
perspective ... it is effectively similar to a 3,200-megawatt [capacity] wind farm or
2,000 [wind] turbines, or 152 million compact fluorescent light bulbs, or five
per cent of the compact fluorescent light bulb market," Fairburn said.
2,000 [wind] turbines, or 152 million compact fluorescent light bulbs, or five
per cent of the compact fluorescent light bulb market," Fairburn said.
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