Carbon capture: what is it and how does it fight climate change?

By Aryn L

The UK government is ready to announce where it will be built soon- there are three proposals under debate: one at Keadby in north Lincolnshire and two near Redcar on Teesside. The carbon capture plant is designed to stop most of the carbon dioxide it produces being released into the atmosphere.

How does it work?

Burning fossil fuels in order to generate electricity emits CO2- the main driver of climate change. The carbon capture process stops most of the CO2 produced from being released by either re-using it or storing it underground. In this new power station, the CO2 would be captured and stored under the North Sea- either in old oil and gas reservoirs or permeable rocks.

“Thesepowerstationslooklikeanotherexcuse forthegovernmenttoshowpreferencetotheir friendsintheoilandgasindustry,making energymoreexpensivetoeveryoneelse’s disadvantage,”saysGreenpeacecampaignerDr DougParr.

How much CO2 will it remove?

In 2021 the UK emitted 425 million tonnes of CO2. By comparison, none of the three proposed carbon capture plants claims to capture more than 2 million tonnes a year. The government has set a target to capture between 20 and 30 million tonnes of CO2 a year by 2030.

How much will carbon capture cost?

Carbon capture technology has been mainly used so far in industries where captured CO2 can be reused, e.g. to force out oil and gas from underground reserves. There aren’t plans to use the CO2 from the new proposed power stations. In comparison to a new gas power station in Keadby that costed £350 million, building a similar sized gas power station with carbon capture would be roughly double the cost. There are some who see carbon capture as too expensive and think the money would be better spent on renewables and power storage, like batteries.

Why is carbon capture needed?

These power plants are part of the government’s commitment to remove carbon from UK electricity production by 2035, along with increased use of nuclear energy and other technologies. The government hope to build at least one power plant by the mid-2020showever, that deadline now looks improbable.

Do other countries have carbon capture?

In September 2022 there were only 30 carbon capture facilities in the world. Once built, it’s hoped other industries would use the UK power station’s pipeline to store CO2 under the North Sea.