This study focused on evaluating the cost of recovering CO(sub 2) from coal gasification, combined-cycle (GCC) power plants and transporting the CO(sub 2) in pipelines for disposal in deep ocean water, depleted oil and gas reservoirs, or aquifers. Other fuels and conversion technologies were not evaluated. Technical feasibility, environmental acceptability, and other implementation issues were not addressed in detail. Ocean disposal of CO(sub 2) offers essentially unlimited capacity, but is distant from most US coal-fired power plants and presents environmental concerns at the disposal point. Depleted oil and gas reservoirs are also distant from most US coal-fired power plants and have a more limited disposal capacity,, but were calculated to have a potential capacity more than double that required to dispose of all CO(sub 2) from 830 GCC power plants (380-mwe each) for a period of 40 years. The existence of oil and gas reservoirs provides ''proof'' of the long-term CO(sub 2) confinement potential in these formations. In contrast, aquifer disposal is believed to be significantly riskier. Key concerns are lack of geologic knowledge at depths adequate for CO(sub 2) disposal; uncertainty about geochemical impacts from decreased water pH; and long-term confinement, which is unproven for non-petroleum formations. Carbon dioxide recovery at GCC plants increased the levelized energy cost (LEC) by about one third relative to a reference GCC plant without CO(sub 2) recovery. The transmission distance is the key factor affecting total CO(sub 2) control costs.
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