BR Proud Article: What is carbon capture and how can it affect Louisiana?

quote:

---

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — Louisiana is known for having its chemical and industrial plants throughout the state that emit carbon dioxide.

Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) is a process of reducing carbon emissions, which helps slow the global warming rate. The process includes capturing carbon dioxide (CO2), moving it and storing it underground. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), to slow or prevent global warming, carbon needs to be removed from the atmosphere.

“CCUS is one strategy to reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. For Louisiana, it is particularly salient due to our high percentage of emissions coming from industrial sources,” said Greg Upton, Associate Research Professor for the Center for Energy Studies at Louisiana State University.

When carbon dioxide is captured, it can be used to make something or be moved underground. CO2 can be used in production to make things such as washing detergent. It’s typically moved in a pipeline in a liquid-like state. The CO2 will then be injected into a reservoir that’s thousands of feet underground and essentially trapped there, according to the Center for Entergy Studies.

Although carbon capture has its benefits, it has its risks as well. For carbon capture utilization and storage, most of the risks come from moving the carbon dioxide. CO2 is nontoxic and nonflammable but is transported at high pressures. The carbon dioxide injected into the reservoir also can leak to the surface.

“Some stakeholders have voiced concerns broadly about continuing to invest in hydrocarbon-based technologies, such as the petrochemical sector, and thus have not been supportive of investments like CCUS. Others have expressed concerns about landowner rights regarding pore space deep underground. Others have expressed concerns about the safety of the technology,” stated Upton.

Louisiana exports liquid fuels, polymers and fertilizers across the world. In a decade, Louisiana invested about $87 billion into these sectors, resulting in more jobs and increasing the product exported. Louisiana is a prime target for CCUS because it has a large source of industrial emissions, buyers want a more economical product and Louisiana land is a good match for the project’s needs.

“Producing oil and gas in Louisiana is crucial for our local economy, and it provides affordable energy for the whole country. Many of these energy producers want to invest in carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) so they can keep operating in Louisiana long into the future,” said U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy.

Cleco Power, a local power company, invested in a state-of-the-art carbon capture facility in Louisiana. Project Diamond Vault plans to reduce up to 95% of the carbon dioxide emissions from the Madison 3 plant, according to the website.

---