Ian J. Potter Ph.D

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Overview of Greenhouse Gas Opportunities

• Ian J. Potter Ph.D
• Director, Sustainable Energy Futures
• MAKING THE CIRCLE STRONGERAPEGGA ANNUAL
  CONFERENCE APRIL 22 - 24, 2004EDMONTON, ALBERTA

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Situational Analysis
Most of the demand will be met by oil, natural
gas and coal
Ref IEA, World Energy Outlook2002
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GHG Management (after Kaya 1989)

• Atmosphere
• GHG POP

- GHG
GDP POP
BTU GDP
GHG BTU
x
x
x
Population Standard of Living
Energy Intensity GHG Intensity
GHG Sequestered
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Mitigation Responses

• Improve energy efficiency
• Fuel switching
• Decarbonization of fossil fuels
• Removal, recovery and disposal of CO2
• Utilization of CO2
• Use of non-fossil energy sources
• Reforestation
• Utilization of biomass energy
• Geoengineering

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Improve Energy Efficiency
Losses
Losses
Final Useful Energy
Transformation Transportation Distribution
Secondary Energy
Utilization Device or System
Primary Energy
Coal Crude Oil Natural Gas Nuclear Hydro Biomass E
tc.
Power Station Refinery Coke Oven Coal
Gasification Coal Liquefaction
Electricity Oil Products Natural Gas Coke Etc.
Burner Electrical Motor Automobile Etc.
Space Heat Process Heat Mech. Energy Etc.
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Improve Energy Efficiency

• Technology Improvement
• Operation and control
• Materials
• Economics
• Government Policy

• Application flexibility
• RD Investment
• Market Pull

System Present ? Achievable ? Theoretical ?
Coal Steam Boiler 70 80 100
Gasification, Combined Cycle 42 60 70
Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell 45 55 94
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Improve Energy Efficiency

• Residential and Commercial Sector
• Space Heating building design
• Water heating heat pump, efficient burners
• Industry Sector
• Waste heat recuperation
• Process flow optimization
• Transportation
• District transport
• Advanced conversion systems hybrid engines
• Electricity Generation from Fossil Fuel
• Fuel cells
• Cogeneration

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Conventional vs Cogeneration
Input Energy 105.3 Units
Thermal Efficiency 40
Electrical Power 40 Units
Power Station
Input Energy 100 Units
Thermal Efficiency 38
Cogen (Diesel)
Input Energy 49 Units
Heat 40.2 Units
Boiler
Efficiency of Waste Heat Recovery 67
Boiler Efficiency 82
Conventional System Total Energy Input 154.3
Units
Cogeneration System Total Energy Input 100 Units
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Fuel Switching

• Substitution of a lower carbon fuel
• Natural gas for coal
• Availability of energy resources
• Energy costs
• Technology receptors
• Resource Industry impact by switching

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What Might Reshape Our Energy Future?

• A sustainable energy system based on
• Hydrogen that is affordable, domestically
  produced from diverse sources, and safely stored,
  dispensed and used

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Fuel Cells Are Like Batteries That You Supply
Fuel To As Needed
A fuel cell converts the chemical energy in
hydrogen to electricity and water
Hydrogen
Pure Water
Electricity
Oxygen from air
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Potential for Hydrogen?
Potential for Hydrogen?
Courtesy Eddy Isaacs
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Coal Fired Power
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Decarbonization of Fossil Fuels

• In strictest sense
• The removal of carbon from fossil fuels prior to
  combustion
• But really, the use of fossil fuels with the
  avoidance of CO2 emissions to the atmosphere
• Process the fossil fuel prior to combustion,
  removing carbon, leave hydrogen
• Convert the fossil fuel to a hydrogen rich fuel
  while producing, recovering and sequestering CO2
  prior to combustion.
• Also, the capture, recovery and sequestering of
  CO2 after combustion.

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Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle Power
Generation
Oxygen
Coal Slurry
Sulphur CO2
Combined Cycle Plant
Gasifier
Electricity Steam
H2
Sour Shift
Acid Gas Removal
Gas Steam Turbine Turbine
Electricity Heat
Fuel Cells
Slag
Best potential for commercial production of
clean power With near zero emissions within the
next 5 to 10 years
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Alberta Energy Research Institute (AERI)Vision
Add Value to Albertas Hydrocarbon Resources
FT Synthesis
Liquid Fuels
clean gas
Olefins Petrochemicals Clean Gasoline
Low cost feedstocks Coal Heavy Coke Resid Biomass

Combustion/ Gasification
Separation/ Conversion
Hydrogen
Synthetic Natural Gas
Fertilizers
Electricity
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Removal, Recovery, Disposal of CO2

• Carbon dioxide control points
• The atmosphere
• The surface waters of the oceans
• Stacks of fossil fuel conversion plants
• Source of relatively high CO2

Control Point Minimum Separation Energy (kWh/lb CO2)
Atmosphere 0.057
Ocean 0.057
Fossil Fuel Combustion Equipment 0.0259 - 0.0179
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Removal of CO2
Process CO2 Removal Efficiency () kWhe/lb CO2 Recovered
Amine Absorption/ Stripping Integrated 90 0.11
Oxygen/Coal Fired Plant 100 0.15
Amine Absorption/ Stripping Non-Integrated 90 0.27
Potassium Carbon Absorption/ Stripping 90 0.32
Molecular Sieves 90 0.40
Refrigeration 90 0.40
Seawater absorption 90 0.80
Membrane 90 0.36
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Removal of CO2

• Other factors
• Cost
• Equipment size
• Integration
• Environment
• Separation of CO2 is still the largest technology
  and economic hurdle in utilizing clean energy
  from fossil fuels

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Disposal of CO2

• No indirect benefit
• Ocean disposal
• Depleted gas wells
• Salt domes
• Aquifers
• Natural materials
• Indirect benefit
• Enhanced Coalbed Methane
• CO2 Enhanced Oil Recovery
• Natural materials

Courtesy Stefan Bachu, AGS
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Enhanced Coalbed Methane
CO2
CH4
CO2
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Use of Non-Fossil Energy Sources

• Nuclear
• Solar

?
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Use of Non-Fossil Energy Sources

• Wave Power

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Use of Non-Fossil Energy Sources

• Offshore Wave Energy
• Hose Pump
• Archimedes Wave Swing (AWS)

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Use of Non-Fossil Energy Sources

• Tidal Energy Installation

europa.eu.int/comm/energy_transport/atlas/htmlu/ti
dal.html
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Utilization of Biomass Energy

• Wood and Wood Wastes
• Municipal solid waste
• Combustion
• Landfill gas
• Herbaceous biomass and agricultural residues
• Aquatic biomass
• Industrial solid wastes
• Sewage methane
• Manure methane

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Integrated Manure Utilization System
Biogas utilization
Energy
Manure
Biogas
Aerobic digester/ nutrient enrichment
Organic fertilizer
Anaerobic Digester
Solids
Solid/liquid Separation
Nutrient recovery/ treatment
Reusable water
Liquids
Growing Power
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Can we break the link?
Present Energy Use Environmental Impacts

• Recent activity focused on incremental technology
  development to improve energy production methods
  and systems

Future Innovation Investment Energy
Technology
? Sustainability
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Sustainable Development

• 1987- World Commission on Environment and
  Development, the Brundtland Commission
• development that meets the needs of the present
  without compromising the ability of future
  generations to meet their own needs.

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Sustainable Philosophy
Air Pollution
Solid Waste Management
Effluent/ Water Management
Energy Management
Economic and Social
Greenhouse Gases
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Emissions Philosophy

• Its not just climate change!!
• Air Emissions
• NOx, SOx, Particulate Matter, Ozone, Mercury,
  Unburnt hydrocarbons, greenhouse gases
• Water Emissions
• Quality and Quantity Assurance
• Solid Waste Management
• MSW, Ash, Slag, Tailings
• Thermal Management
• maximizing energy utilization
• Noise Management

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The Core Challenge

• Research turns money into knowledge

Research
Innovation
Knowledge
It takes innovation to turn knowledge into money
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Summary

• Concern over possible global warming climate
  change
• Stimulated research - Action is taking place
• Sustainability not just climate change
• Innovation and investment are critical
• Technology provides the solutions, but rarely in
  the short term
• Partnerships are essential
• Governments, Industry and Public open discussion

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Take home message

• Solutions to reduce greenhouse and other
  emissions will come through technology, and
  require a fundamental shift in how we live, work
  and do business