Name ID/Passport Number University Year of study Course

: : : : :

Ilyas Nurhadi 17024/A1087154 Universiti Teknologi Petronas 2nd Year 2nd Semester Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) Chemical Engineering

Specific Essay Title

Contact number Email

:
: :

Cleaner Carbon Emissions: Appraising the Strategy

+60105183179 ilyas.nurhadi@gmail.com

Cleaner Carbon Emissions: Appraising the Strategy Abstract

Global warming has rose as an issue in the world since industrial revolution in Europe. Nowadays it has been taken as serious world issue. In the past 10 years world average temperature has increased by 0.3C to 0.4C and rose in sea level by 10 to 15 cm. It is projected by the scientist, if earth surface temperature keeps on increasing by the end of this century many country will be inhabitable. Therefore almost all of the country around the world decided to fight against global warming in hope for sustainable future by signing the famous agreement Kyoto Protocol. In this protocol all of parties agreed to push down greenhouse gases emission. The scientist proposed a method called Carbon Capture and Sequestration/Storage Strategy. This strategy is to capture CO2 and then sequestration/store somewhere beneath earth. Government has invested in for this strategy, however recent studies found this strategy is completely pale. A really high cost budget does not seem worth since the risk carried by this strategy. Hence a new more efficient and effective strategy must be developed. Coal is used as a fuel for thermal generation power stations in Malaysia. These power stations contribute over quarter of the total CO2 emitted by the country. A method called co-firing with biomass has been studied and believed to reduce CO2 emitted by the combustion of coal reduced. This promising method if implemented correctly will greatly reduced the CO2 emission rate up to 50%, even more if this method further developed. However Biomass itself it is not an easy thing to prepare. It needs a large area for the feedstock to maintain the power supply. In addition if it is not implemented correctly it may result in decreased of overall efficiency of the plant.

Cleaner Carbon Emissions: Appraising the Strategy

1.0 Introduction Global warming is a common word we heard when we are talking about biggest issues in the world. Multiple International conference have been held, result in famous Kyoto Protocol which signed by 192 parties around the world including Malaysia. The international treaty declared all of industrialized country to minimize the greenhouse gases (GHG) emission. According to Ling and Yi (2011) world average temperature has increased by 0.3C to 0.6C and a boost in sea level by 10 to 15 cm in the past 10 years. If the rate of GHG emission is escalated with same rate as present, it is projected the average global temperature will raise by 1C in the year of 2025 and by 3C at the end of the century. If so, many countries will be inhabitable by 2100. There are 6 GHG potentially emerge global warming, however we have to pay attention most to CO2 which massively increasing in atmosphere due to human activities. In Malaysia itself, Electrical Generation, vehicle, industrial along with residential are the main contributor of CO2. (Sharliza et al., 2010) Jones (2013) stated Tenaga Nasional Berhad, the largest electricity supply company in Malaysia, is use coal as a fuel for 4 thermal generation power station. CO2 emitted by these power stations is approximately 48 million tones, covering more than quarter Malaysia CO2 emitted in 2010. There is a way to reduce such great amount of emission called co-firing of biomass with coal while scientist also offer a strategy called carbon capture and sequestration/storage (CCS). It is believed if these methods applied correctly may result in cut down to almost zero emission. 2.0 Carbon Capture and Sequestration/Storage Strategy CCS strategy idea is to capture emitted CO2 and then sequestration/store it somewhere underground or in deep sea. According to Zhou (2012) the marginal cost and the market price of generated power gap is too large. As the price of the coal will always increase while expected cost by implementing CCS strategy is also high. A compilation of industry CO2 capture is shown in Figure 1. Notice the lowest cost is 50 Canadian dollars which is around RM 160 per ton of CO2 abated. Assuming the amount of CO2 produce by burning 1 ton coal is 2.6 tons of CO2, we have to spend RM 416 for each ton of coal we burn. Jones (2013) estimated the amount of coal burned by Tenaga Nasional Berhad reach 16.5 megatonnes each year. Hence Tenaga Nasional Berhad has to pay up to RM 6 trillion annually for implementing CCS strategy.
1

Cleaner Carbon Emissions: Appraising the Strategy

Moreover storage of large amount CO2 can be a disaster. The compression work done on CO2 is converted to internal energy of the gas. This huge amount of energy can actually someday unexpected released along with CO2 gas. Since CO2 density is higher than air density, CO2 released to the atmosphere will accumulating around surface of the earth. This is really dangerous for living being. And also such an accident we have been experienced it, where hundred thousand people died in Cameroon, and many more suffer in China or India. Therefore, the CSS strategy is absolutely defected and not efficient to deal with global carbon emission. (Zhou, 2012) 3.0 Co-firing and biomass Co-firing defined as simultaneous combustion of different fuels in the same boiler. In cofiring we would like to reduce the amount of CO2 produced by combustion of coal by partially replacing the coal with biomass. The purposed of keeping coal in the process instead of replacing everything with biomass is to maintain stable combustion characteristic. Unlike CCS strategy co-firing and biomass idea is to reduce emission of CO2 by manipulating the process. As reported by Liuwen, Richards, and Weber (2010) biofuels can be combusted in two ways, either as a synthesis gas derived from gasification of feedstock or as a liquid fuels created by industrial processes. Algae are a promising source of biofuel option. Some of it species can grow quickly in addition algae may produce hydrocarbon oils that can be recovered for energy production. The major problems of using biomass are large power plant required a lot of power supply, which mean we require a very large area of feedstock. A way to reduce supply limitation of pure biomass fueling is to co-firing it with coal. Plant economics can be scaled with confidence around the stable supply of coal can be achieved by mixing these fuels. Apart from algae there are many options for material to be used in co-firing. For example wood in various forms, including forest thinning, as well as cotton waste. Figure 2 shows the reduction of CO2 emission by partially replacing coal with wood. An important example of co-firing of coal and biomass is Drax Power Station in West Yorkshire. This is the UKs largest coal fired per station; it has replaced 10% of its coal with biomass by the end 2009. (Jones, 2008) However according to Jones (2008) co-firing is very depending on the feed stock some of the feedstock have low bulk density it is required to have storage of large quantity material. Moreover moisture content may be high which will reduce the efficiency of the plant.
2

Cleaner Carbon Emissions: Appraising the Strategy

4.0 Conclusion Most of the country around the world including Malaysia has taken global warming as a serious global issue. Government must smartly choose which method more efficient and also effective. Earlier scientist offer CCS strategy and some countries government have been putting money on it. Unfortunately recent study shows us CCS strategy is not worth pursued. Not only it is cost a lot of investment but also have a large potential accident might occur. Another method which is co-firing coal with biomass is recently being introduced and developed. Instead of reducing CO2 after combustion, this method reduces CO2 before the combustion happened. Since currently Malaysia adopting Five-fuel Diversification Strategy, renewable energy such as biomass is an economical option to replace fossil fuel.

Cleaner Carbon Emissions: Appraising the Strategy

References Jones, C. (2013). Global trends and patterns in carbon mitigation. (1st ed., Vol. 1). Aberdeen: Ventus Publishing ApS. Jones, C. (2008). Atmospheric pollution. (1st ed., Vol. 1). Aberdeen: Ventus Publishing ApS. Lieuwen, T., Richards, G., & Weber, J. (2010, August).Cleaner emissions: Approaching zero. Retrieved from https://www.asme.org/engineering-topics/articles/fossil-power/cleaner-

emissions-approaching-zero Sharliza, N., Zainon, Z., Hashim, H., Ujang, Z., & Talib, J. (2010). Projection of CO2 Emission in Malaysia. Environmental Progress & Sustainable Engineers, 00(00), 1-8. Yi, C., & Ling, P. (2011). Assesment of carbon dioxide reduction efficiency using the regional carbon neutral model - a case study in university campus, taiwan.Low Carbon Economy, 2(00), 159-164.

Cleaner Carbon Emissions: Appraising the Strategy

Appendixes

Figure 1: Compilation of industry CO2 capture cost estimates (Zhou, 2012)

Figure 2: CO2 emission vs Proportion of Wood in the fuel blend