DOE announces funding for CO2 storage studies

The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Fossil Energy has announced $44 million in funding for 16 cost-share carbon dioxide storage research and development projects. The idea of carbon dioxide storage, referred to as carbon sequestration and storage, or CCS, is to address global warming by sequestering underground the carbon dioxide emitted from industrial sources.

The funding comes as part of DOE’s Carbon Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise Initiative, a program designed to help mitigate carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels.

“CCS will play a very important role as the world moves toward a lower-carbon economy,” said Lynn Orr, DOE’s under secretary for science and energy. “The U.S. must continue a leadership role in the development and deployment of CO2 storage technologies as a key element of a diversified energy economy.”

Of the 16 projects selected, 13 will conduct pre-feasibility studies of potential underground sites for commercial-scale carbon dioxide storage. The projects, conducted by various universities and an electrical power research institute, will develop plans addressing the technical requirements, economic feasibility and public acceptability of storage projects. Potential storage sites are located in Wyoming, Illinois, the Gulf of Mexico, Utah, Nebraska, Kansas, Michigan, California, Nebraska and South Louisiana. Some of these projects will address the capture and storage of carbon dioxide emitted from operational electricity generation plants.

The three other projects will characterize and address the feasibility of commercial carbon dioxide storage in known, high-potential storage locations. The locations are in Mississippi, North Dakota and Illinois. Two of the projects will include evaluations of the storage of carbon dioxide from existing power plants.

- ALAN BAILEY