Transformation of Climate Conditions is a distinct topic.
In the fight against climate change, two promising approaches are gaining traction: Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) projects and strategies to reduce methane emissions.
Currently, 80% of iridium, a crucial component in CCS, is mined in South African mines, but production there is only eight tons. Despite this limitation, the potential for CCS is significant. The European Union has presented a "Methane Strategy" to reduce emissions, aiming for a 35% reduction by 2050, and CCS companies are working to reduce storage costs to $100 per tonne (around €85).
Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, is a significant climate issue due to its rapid increase in the atmosphere since 2007. Paradoxically, CCS has been banned in Germany since 2012 due to concerns about safety and proximity to nuclear power. However, the Climate Protection Act requires Germany to only emit as much greenhouse gas as nature can absorb by 2045, making methane reduction strategies increasingly important.
Key solutions for reducing methane emissions include organic waste management improvements, methane capture from landfills, advanced leak detection and repair, and deployment of new monitoring technologies. Transforming open dumpsites into sanitary landfills combined with diverting organic waste to composting and anaerobic digestion can reduce methane emissions by 80% and up to 95% methane reduction efficiency compared with landfilling. Methane emitted from landfills can be captured profitably to use as fuel, turning a greenhouse gas liability into a resource.
Operational best practices, low-leakage equipment retrofitting, and advanced leak detection technologies enable rapid detection and repair of methane leaks in the oil and gas sector. Drone-mounted sensors and methane-sensing satellites can precisely detect and quantify emissions, greatly improving emissions inventory accuracy and enabling targeted mitigation efforts.
The international shipping industry expects a 30% increase in CO2 emissions by 2050, and the injection of carbon dioxide several thousand meters deep in the seabed is expected to be economically viable before 2030. Norway is a pioneer in seabed carbon dioxide storage, with the "Northern Lights" project aiming to make the injection of liquefied CO2 off the Norwegian coast a European project. More than 50 customers from various European industrial sectors with an estimated storage requirement of around 50 million tonnes of CO2 per year are on board for the "Northern Lights" project.
The IPCC reported in 2018 that without CCS, the goals of the Paris Agreement would not be achievable. The EU, USA, and China aim to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, 2060 respectively. Federal elections in the fall focus on climate change, with the goal of making Germany climate-neutral by 2045.
However, high costs are a barrier to CCS implementation. It currently costs around $500 to capture and liquefy one tonne of CO2, while the price for one tonne of CO2 in the EU emissions trading scheme is around $50. Politics aims to significantly increase the price of emissions certificates to promote the use of sustainable technologies.
Lithium extraction for batteries faces bottlenecks, with current reserves and projects only covering about half of global demand by 2030. The expansion of hydrogen technology for climate change fight is uncertain due to iridium supply issues.
In early 2021, the topic of CCS gained more public attention with Elon Musk announcing a $100 million prize for the best method. The Climate Protection Act requires Germany to only emit as much greenhouse gas as nature can absorb by 2045, making it crucial to invest in and develop CCS and methane reduction strategies to meet this goal.
References:
- IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C (2018)
- Global Methane Assessment (2021)
- AUSEA ultralight sensor (Aarhus University)
- Environmental Defense Fund (2021)
- European Commission (2021)
- In the realm of environmental science, the EU's "Methane Strategy" aligns with the broader fight against climate-change, targeting a 35% reduction in methane emissions by 2050.
- Beyond CCS, other greenhouse gases also demand attention; for instance, the international shipping industry anticipates a 30% increase in CO2 emissions by 2050, underscoring the need for alternative strategies.
- Society, politics, and general-news are closely watching advancements in climate-change solutions, such as Elon Musk's $100 million prize for innovative methods in Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), recognizing its potential significance in reaching environmental goals.
