Negative Emissions I: CCS A Costly, Risky Distraction?

To meet targets, we must stop emitting GHGs by 2050. However scepticism around meeting the desired 1.5C is increasing, many believe this can only be achieved using CDR negative emission technologies like Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS) and Bio-Energy with CCS (BECCS), mentioned in over 80% of IPCC pathways to emissions reductions.

There is increasing interest in adapting pre-existing industries. Today there are 17 fully operating CCS facilities that annually captures 31 million tonnes of CO2. Contrary to popular belief (or my ideas) OPEC countries and oil companies (example Shell, 2015), are investing in greener technologies. The Al Reyadah project is a joint venture between Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and Masdar, it's facility captures 800,000 tonnes of CO2/year from the Emirates Steel factory and sequesters captures CO2 to enhance oil recovery, (with more facilities planned to be built).

Despite, steps in the right direction, it is opposed strongly by environmental groups like Greenpeace branding CCS as a 'costly, risky distraction'. 

Problems

1. Small-scale
1. Only 17 fully operating CCS facilities.
2. Little progress for large-scale deployment since 2008.
2. High profile projects cancelled
1. UK 2015.
2. Norway 2013.
3. USA 2015.
3. Storing CO2 permanently 
1. An oil company in Mississippi sequestered CO2 underground that created well blowouts releasing CO2 back into the atmosphere, and in one case released so much, it suffocated wildlife.
4. Costly 
1. To meet 1.5C CCS must capture 5 gigatonnes of CO2/year from 2050-2100, costing approximately $500 billion/year. 
2. May contaminate groundwater supplies.
5. Morally wrong
1. Enhancing oil recovery prolongs the use of fossil fuels.
2. Pressure on freshwater supplies.
3. Does not address ocean acidification and may enhance this.

The Future

Further research and innovation into negative emissions technologies may overcome major limitations of current CCS technologies. For instance, Origen Power, a by-product of heating limestone can be used to neutralise acidic waters and capture atmospheric CO2 (see video below). But, at present, this has not been implemented on a commercial scale.

TED talk: Can we stop climate change by removing CO2 from the air? (Tim Kruger, 2017).

 "All [CDR] ideas come with trade-offs, none of them are perfect, but many have potential."

Perhaps the future solution should be a mixture of CDR negative emissions technologies like CCS, alongside reductions in GHGs. CCS alone will not solve climate change, especially when there are only 17 facilities worldwide and finite sources of fossil fuels left, it's long-term sustainability is questionable. But more research and funding is required for the development of all geoengineering approaches.

Perhaps, Bio-energy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS), is the future for long-term sustainability of CCS. We shall see...