Slashdot Mirror
$20 Million XPRIZE Takes On Carbon Emissions
An anonymous reader writes: XPRIZE has announced a new, $20 million competition that aims to tackle carbon emissions. They're not looking to reduce emissions, but rather to convert them into something useful. They provide examples: "products like new and sustainable building materials; low-emission transportation fuels; and alternative chemical products that can be used to make everything from clothing and running shoes, to safer, stronger automobiles and breakthrough medicines." Awards will be given for making use of emissions from two different sources: coal power plants and natural gas power plants. "The winning team will convert the most CO2 emissions into the highest value products. To be competitive, teams will have to make the business case for their approach as well as minimize their use of energy, water, land, and other inputs that have consequences for the environment."
I question whether there could ever be enough demand for these products to put a real dent in carbon emissions.
There is enormous potential demand for CO2 for use in enhanced oil recovery and fracking. Pump the CO2 down, and it dissolves and mobilizes the hydrocarbons, and displaces them upward. It is better than the water based solutions currently used. Any shale formation capable of retaining methane, can reliably store the CO2. Eventually, most of the CO2 will form stable carbonates with the rock. We just need a system of pipelines to carry the CO2 from power plants to the oilfields. Another option, would be to transport coal or gas to the oilfields, and burn it locally where the CO2 could be put to immediate use, and then build long distance high voltage power lines to population centers.