Abby L. Harvey
GHG Monitor
5/16/2014
Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is essential to achieving the 2 degree target necessary to avoid potentially devastating effects of global warming, a report published by the International Energy Agency Monday states. The report, the fourth volume of the agency’s Energy Technology Perspectives, states that barring significant changes the world is heading toward a substantial increase in average temperature. According to the report, CCS will need to be integrated at an increased pace.
As the use of coal continues to increase and is anticipated to continue growing at into the next several decades, CCS will be necessary to combat the carbon heavy fuel. “Growth in coal-fired generation since 2010 has been greater than that of all non-fossil sources combined, continuing a 20-year trend; 60% of new coal capacity built in the past decade was subcritical, the least efficient class of commercially available coal-fired generation technologies. The future of CCS is uncertain; at present, the technology is advancing slowly, due to high costs and lack of political and financial commitment. Near-term progress in CCS research, development and demonstration is needed to ensure long-term and cost-competitive deployment towards meeting climate goals,” the report says. In the IEA 2 degree scenario, in which the temperature of the world is kept from increasing more than 2 degrees, it is projected the use of fossil fuels will eventually decrease with an increase in the use of renewables. However, even in this scenario, fossil fuels account for 20 percent of the energy generation in 2050, the end-point for the scenario. Most of that 20 percent, according the report, would have to be fossil fuel plants with CCS.
The report also stresses a move from coal to natural gas, which combined with CCS would result in drastically decreased carbon emissions. According to the report, “Gas-fired generation supports two elements of a cleaner energy system: increasing integration of renewables and displacing coal-fired generation.” CCS, the report says, will account for 14 percent of energy emissions reductions between the 2 degree scenario and the “business-as-usual” 6 degree scenario. Energy efficiency would make up 38 percent, renewables 30 percent and fuel switching and nuclear would make up the rest.
