Title: Carbon dioxide capture: an assessment of plausible ranges

Authors: Ferenc L. Toth, Hans-Holger Rogner

Addresses: Planning and Economic Studies Section, Department of Nuclear Energy, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), P.O. Box 100, Wagramer Str. 5, A-1400 Vienna, Austria. ' Planning and Economic Studies Section, Department of Nuclear Energy, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), P.O. Box 100, Wagramer Str. 5, A-1400 Vienna, Austria

Abstract: The projections of energy related carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions in the Special Report on Emission Scenarios (SRES) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) serve as point of departure for an assessment of plausible ranges of CO₂ emissions that could be avoided through CO₂ capture and storage measures. Scenario and time dependent, sector and fuel specific capture factors are developed for eleven world regions to estimate the proportion of CO₂ resulting from fossil fuel and biomass combustion/conversion that might be practical to capture and store. The capture factors are applied to the original CO₂ emissions scenarios at a highly disaggregated level. The results are summed up and presented. The results indicate that it might be possible to capture and store a significant quantity of energy related CO₂, especially in the second quarter of this century. Yet the amounts of CO₂ still being emitted remain considerable, suggesting that other technologies will also be needed if the threat of climate change requires large reductions of CO₂ emissions over the next few decades.

Keywords: CO₂ capture; CO₂ storage; capture factors; global energy scenarios; CO₂ emissions; climate change mitigation; carbon dioxide capture; fossil fuels; biomass; environmental technology; greenhouse gas emissions.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGEI.2006.008383

International Journal of Global Energy Issues, 2006 Vol.25 No.1/2, pp.14 - 59

Published online: 15 Dec 2005 *

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