Learning Lessons from Carbon Capture and Storage Projects to Date with PACE

By Simon Baker, Managing Director, GeoLogica

I was fortunate to attend a days’ training seminar on CCS jointly run by PACE CCS and GeoLogica in PACE’s offices in London. PACE have enormous experience in the CCS field, having worked on many of the world’s significant projects, designing specifications and software. But the CCS industry is in its infancy – as GeoLogica tutor and Pace’s Managing Director Matt Healey says, “I have 5 years’ experience in CCS which would make me a junior engineer in many other industries.”

The day’s discussion focussed on the issues surrounding the capture and transport of carbon dioxide before it is injected into the subsurface. Matt emphasized the point that capture is perhaps the limiting factor, due to the physical size of the current amine-based capture technology. This was an early eye-opener for me, as my geoscience-bias had caused me to assume the key challenges are understanding the subsurface…

In brief, my key takeaways from the day were:

• Contrary to some narratives, CCS is not a way for oil and gas companies to continue business as usual. Rather, it is a critical element on the pathway to net zero.
• CCS plus renewables plus hydrogen will facilitate a cheaper and more rapid transition away from fossil fuels.
• Capture technology is currently the principal hurdle, in terms of cost and engineering challenges.
• Not all CO2 is created equally. Different industries produce CO2 with different impurities, which in turn changes the specifications for different projects.
• Oil and gas companies understand the subsurface and can deliver large projects. However, CCS projects are distinct and O&G companies need to change their project delivery methodology.
• Governments have a critical role in promoting the development of CCS/renewables/hydrogen hubs, where the new energy ecosystem can develop and thrive.

Challenges remain in the engineering of capture and of transport facilities, but they are surmountable, and technology is advancing. There is an enormous market and opportunities out there that are worth trillions of dollars. Time is short – CCS is essential, not optional.

I’d like to extend GeoLogica’s thanks to Pace CCS for sharing their knowledge, time and facilities for the course. For more information on the course, visit the course page here.