MIT, Firms Join Forces on Carbon Sequestration

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Energy Laboratory has joined forces with seven companies to launch an industrial consortium to support research on carbon sequestration, or capturing carbon dioxide before it reaches the atmosphere.

The consortium, called the Carbon Sequestration Initiative, began July 1 with charter members American Electric Power, BP Amoco, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Norsk Hydro (Norway), Texaco and TotalFinaElf (France).

The carbon sequestration strategy involves capturing carbon dioxide emissions at their source and/or enhancing natural processes to increase the removal of carbon from the atmosphere, such as by planting trees.

The idea of reducing the emission of all greenhouse gases, but especially carbon dioxide, is at the center of the climate change debate. Should emissions limits on greenhouse gases come to pass, scientists see companies in all industrial sectors quickly becoming interested in identifying and evaluating their options for controlling their carbon dioxide emissions.

Howard Herzog, director of the Carbon Sequestration Initiative and a principal research engineer at MIT, said carbon sequestration has been gaining international attention as a potential complement to current carbon dioxide-mitigation strategies such as improved energy efficiency and increased use of non-carbon energy sources:

"More than 85 percent of the world's energy needs are now met using fossil fuels, and carbon sequestration would let us continue using fossil fuels while we develop acceptable alternatives," Herzog said

Carbon sequestration is being used by several commercial entities. MIT notes that some power plants capture carbon dioxide for commercial markets, and petroleum companies inject carbon dioxide into the ground for enhanced oil recovery. At an offshore platform in the North Sea, carbon dioxide is injected into a saline aquifer 1,000 meters below the seafloor, sequestering a million tons of carbon dioxide annually.

Business opportunities

MIT's Energy Laboratory has researched technologies to capture, use and sequester carbon dioxide emissions from large stationary sources since 1989 and is recognized internationally as a leader in this field. To improve public understanding of carbon sequestration, CSI will perform outreach activities to help educate a wider audience on the possible uses of carbon sequestration. According to MIT, the Institute will also link industry to expanding governmental research activities in this area and will help identify new business opportunities.