reduction in carbon emissions

Epicam has concluded that a technology combination of Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAESAR) together with incorporated cryogenic capture of CO2 and CH4 from the processed atmospheric air, when implemented at a global level is capable of both eliminating the intermittency resulting from reliance on renewable energy sources, and could remove sufficient CO2 from the processed air to reduce the C02 content in the atmosphere from 420 to 350 ppm in less than 4 decades.

This could be done in an economically attractive industrial process of energy storage and regeneration, also yielding economically useful bi-products from the CO2 harvested.

The CO2 can be combined with Mg(OH)2, which is abundantly available as gypsum, and can deliver new permanently stable building materials. It can also be processed to form carbon neutral aviation fuel, which is already being done in Canada. 

The concievable method would involve a step-change in operation of wind turbines.  Instead of the turbine driving an electricity generator, it would drive directly the liquefaction unit thus adding to the storage reservoir which can be contained within the turbine support structure. The regenerator operates independently of the liquefyer and can thus address the demand situation on the grid continuously.   In this way, all air processed will see cryogenic temperatures and can be subject to extraction of greenhouse gases.   This would greatly simplify the management of demand and supply on the grid and eliminate curtailment of the turbine except when the reservoir is full.  It is  aprocess that can be introduced both on new wind turbines and also retrofitted on existing machines.

IMPLICATIONS

Our analysis is based on the following steps: 

a) The mass of atmospheric air is 5.126 X 10^15 tons

b) The present capacity of global grid power is rising exponentially towards 10 TW .  This could increase by a further 2  orders of magnitude when global industry, transport and agriculture are all completely decarbonised.

c) Storage power required capacity at 10% of grid capacity is  presently 1TW (Capex for Laesar is £ 240K / MW*).   This could rise to 100TW when the  decarbonisation of Industry, Transport and Agricultre is complete.

d) Rate of air processed by Epicam's liquefaction process for energy storage = 13.2 tons/hr/MW 

e) This total global transition could deliver 10 gigtons of CO2/ yr. by DAC (Direct Air Capture of CO2) as bi-product from profitable energy storage to meet the IPCC target to repair the Earth's climate. 

f) Mass of CO2 required to be extracted from atmosphere to reduce content from 415 ppm to 350 ppm. = 311,000,000,000 tons

g) Therefore, if the LAES+ CO2 extraction system were to be operated at maximum capacity, it could be capable of reducing the atmospheric CO2 to a level almost half way (48%) to pre-industrial in 30 - 40 years, whilst showing only net benefit over cost.   This would provide a significant level of operational control over climate change.  This solution meets the required constraints of practicality, affordability and timeliness.

-Anthony O. Dye, MD, Epicam Ltd. 

* Estimated value 

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