As we have known form last post that Cottam Power Stations release more than 10 million tons of Carbon Dioxide to the atmosphere ever year with near 940g carbon dioxide released per kWh electricity generated, hence it was rated as the second UK’s worst climate polluting power station by WWF.
However, this situation gets a lot better if the carbon capture and storage technology is applied.
The carbon dioxide produce in the Cottam power stations can be transported to the target formations located in the Duke’s Wood Oilfield, Eakring, about 20 miles from Cottam.
There are six formations beneath Duke’s Wood Oilfield, they are Keuper Marl, Bunter sandstones, Magnesian limestone, Coal measure(Top hard coal, Siltstone coal, Kilburn coal), Millstone grit series(Chatsworth Grit, Longshaw Grit, Kinderscout grit) and Carboniferous limestone. And three lithologies could be used as possible target formations within the Milstone Grit Sands (Rough Rock 18m, Longshaw Grit 7m, Chatsworth Grit 76m) which are covered with Coal layers and Marls.
A cross section of geology of Duke’s Wood Oilfield.
With carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology to reduce emissions, the carbon footprint of Cottam Power Stations could be brought down from 940g CO2/kWh to 190g CO2/kWh. Reduce around 80% carbon dioxide emission.
By 2020, the cost of generating electricity using coal with carbon capture and storage technology to reduce emissions should be about 11.3p/kWh (EDF, 2012).
Reference
- EDF, Capturing Carbon Emissions From Coal http://www.edfenergy.com/energyfuture/the-possible-solutions-climate-change/coal-and-the-solution-climate-change
- Finding Oil at Eakring and Dukes Wood http://www.dukeswoodoilmuseum.co.uk/Exploration.htm
- The Eakring Oilfield Section http://www.dukeswoodoilmuseum.co.uk/Oil%20What%20is%20it.htm
