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 415 to 350 ppm in less than 2 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.

CALCULATIONS

Our calculations are based on the following steps: 

a) The mass of atmospheric air is 5.126 X 10e15 tons

b) The present capacity of global grid power is 6.142 TW 

c) Storage power required capacity (10%) is 614,200,000 MW (Capex is £ 240K MW*). 

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

e) Rate of air processed when technology is implemented globally = 65,500,000,000,000 tons/yr . 

f) This removes 26,900,000,000 tons  CO2/y

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

h) Therefore, if the LAES+ CO2 extraction system were to be operated at maximum capacity, it would be capable of reducing the atmospheric CO2 to a level almost half way (48%) to pre-industrial in 11.6 years. This would provide a significant level of operational control over climate change. 

-Anthony O. Dye, MD, Epicam Ltd. 

* Estimated value 

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