CO_2 STORAGE AND SINK ENHANCEMENTS: DEVELOPING COMPARABLE ECONOMICS

摘要

This paper reports on a project that compared the economics of major technologies and practices under development for CO_2 storage and sink enhancement, including options for storing captured CO_2, such as active oil reservoirs, depleted oil and gas reservoirs, deep aquifers, coal beds, and oceans, as well as the enhancement of biological sinks such as forests and croplands. For the geologic and ocean storage options, CO_2 capture costs from another project were added to the costs of CO_2 storage estimated in this project to provide combined costs of CO_2 capture and storage. Combined costs of CO_2 capture and storage were compared with CO_2 sink enhancement costs on a life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) avoided basis. The CO_2 storage and sink enhancement options compared in this project differ greatly in the timing and permanence of CO_2 sequestration. In addressing the timing and permanence issue, a 100-year planning horizon was assumed and the net present value of both costs and revenues was considered. The methods for comparing the economics of diverse CO_2 storage and sink enhancement options are overviewed and representative base-case costs of storage and sink enhancement options are compared.