U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

NETL’S CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER

ANNUAL INDEX

FISCAL YEAR (FY) 2021

October 2020 – September 2021
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

NETL’S CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER

ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

This Annual Index is a compilation of the National Energy Technology Laboratory’s (NETL) monthly Carbon 

Storage Newsletters (CSN) published from October 2020 to September 2021. The CSN is produced by NETL 

to provide information on activities and publications related to carbon storage. It covers domestic, international, 

public sector, and private sector news. Outdated information (e.g., conference dates, paper submittals, etc.) and 

duplicative stories have been removed. 

Note that links were active at the time of publication.

A comprehensive archive of the CSN is available on the NETL website.

CONTENTS

DOE/NETL HIGHLIGHTS .....................................................................................................3

PROJECT and BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTS .........................................................................6

LEGISLATION and POLICY................................................................................................13

EMISSIONS TRADING ......................................................................................................16

SCIENCE.........................................................................................................................18

PUBLICATIONS................................................................................................................21

ANNOUNCEMENTS..........................................................................................................44
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 DOE/NETL HIGHLIGHTS

DOE/NETL HIGHLIGHTS

OCTOBER 2020

DOE/NETL 2020 Virtual Integrated Project Review Meeting 

Underway.

A series of free virtual sessions organized by the U.S. Department of Energy 

(DOE) and the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) commenced in 

August 2020 with sessions on carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). 

In September 2020, the virtual meeting featured four days of carbon storage 

topics, including an overview of the Regional Initiatives, updates on Carbon 

Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise (CarbonSAFE) Initiative Phase II projects, 

and results from recent efforts of DOE’s Regional Carbon Sequestration 

Partnerships (RCSPs). In addition, the virtual meeting included discussions on 

carbon storage technologies, wellbore integrity, plume detection, intelligent 

monitoring systems, and offshore opportunities. The 2020 Virtual Integrated 

Project Review Meeting, which will run into November 2020, features sessions 

focused on how DOE/Office of Fossil Energy (FE)-sponsored research and 

development (R&D) activities advance transformative science and technologies 

to support efficient and environmentally sound use of fossil fuels. A 

comprehensive schedule of the virtual meeting is available online. From NETL 

News Releases. August and September 2020. 

NOVEMBER 2020

DOE Issues NOI for Carbon Storage FOA.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy (FE) issued 

a notice of intent (NOI) for a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) in 

support of the goals of the Advanced Storage research and development (R&D)

technology area of DOE’s Carbon Storage Program. The “Emerging CO2 Storage 

Technologies: Optimizing Performance Through Minimization of Seismicity 

Risks and Monitoring Caprock Integrity” FOA would seek projects to develop 

tools and methods designed to optimize safe, secure, and verifiable carbon 

dioxide (CO2) storage. The FOA intends to achieve three goals: facilitating the 

development of novel or advanced tools and methods to improve detection 

and characterization of faults during the site characterization phase; assessing 

seismic risk associated with large-scale CO2 injection; and identifying, locating, 

and quantifying unpredicted CO2/native fluid migration through the main 

caprock layer(s) overlying an injection reservoir. From Office of Fossil Energy 

Press Release. November 2020.

NETL Renews Partnership with NCCC.

DOE/FE and the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) renewed 

their agreement with Southern Company to operate the National Carbon 

Capture Center (NCCC)—a DOE-sponsored research facility focused on nextgeneration carbon capture technologies. Under the agreement, Southern 

Company will continue to manage and operate NCCC, which is located in 

Wilsonville, Alabama (USA), for an additional five years, setting the stage for the 

facility to expand into new areas of research and to advance CO2 utilization and 

direct air capture (DAC) solutions. From NETL Press Release. October 2020.

DECEMBER 2020

DOE Issues NOI for Carbon Storage FOA.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy (FE) issued 

a notice of intent (NOI) for a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) in 

support of the goals of the Advanced Storage research and development (R&D)

technology area of DOE’s Carbon Storage Program. The “Emerging CO2 Storage 

Technologies: Optimizing Performance Through Minimization of Seismicity 

Risks and Monitoring Caprock Integrity” FOA would seek projects to develop 

tools and methods designed to optimize safe, secure, and verifiable carbon 

dioxide (CO2) storage. The FOA intends to achieve three goals: facilitating the 

development of novel or advanced tools and methods to improve detection 

and characterization of faults during the site characterization phase; assessing 

seismic risk associated with large-scale CO2 injection; and identifying, locating, 

and quantifying unpredicted CO2/native fluid migration through the main 

caprock layer(s) overlying an injection reservoir. From Office of Fossil Energy 

Press Release. November 2020.

NETL Explores Expanded Use for CO2-EOR.

A project utilizing National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) expertise in 

CO2-enhanced oil recovery (EOR) is underway in southern Michigan (USA). 

The project aims to unlock access to significant resources in the Trenton/

Black River play by injecting CO2 in the subsurface to improve the flow of 

oil to production wells. NETL’s industry partners are drilling an approximately 

3,900-foot well near Ann Arbor, Michigan, to collect data and for later use 

as a recovery/production well. A second well will be drilled nearby to collect 

additional data and for use as the injection well. The goals of the project are 

to help the United States maintain its energy independence and economically 

use captured CO2 while reducing emissions and maximizing the lifetime utility 

of existing infrastructure and wells in mature fields. From NETL Press Release. 

November 2020.

JANUARY 2021

DOE Announces Funding for Carbon Storage Projects.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy (FE) made 

available federal funding for cost-shared research and development (R&D) to 

develop tools and methods designed to optimize safe, secure, and verifiable 

carbon dioxide (CO2) storage. The “Emerging CO2 Storage Technologies: 

Optimizing Performance Through Minimization of Seismicity Risks and 

Monitoring Caprock Integrity” Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) 

supports the Advanced Storage R&D technology area of DOE’s Carbon Storage 

Program. From energy.gov. December 2020.

FEBRUARY 2021

DOE/FE Funding to Include CCUS.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy (FE) announced 

the availability of financial assistance for cost-shared research and 

development (R&D) projects under a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA)

that supports the initial engineering and design of carbon capture, utilization, 

and storage (CCUS) projects. Projects selected under the CCUS-focused Area 

of Interest (AOI) for this FOA will support the completion of an initial design of 

a commercial-scale CCUS-direct air capture system that separates, stores, or 

utilizes a minimum of 1,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year from 

the air. The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) will manage the 

projects, which will support DOE’s Carbon Capture Program. Responses are 

due by March 5, 2021. From energy.gov. January 2021.

MARCH 2021

NRAP Releases Draft Recommended Practices for Geologic Carbon 

Storage Sites.

Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Risk 

Assessment Partnership (NRAP) released two draft reports providing 

recommendations to support quantitative assessment and management 

of subsurface environmental and induced seismicity risks at geologic 

carbon storage sites. The draft reports—“NRAP Recommended Practices 

for Containment Assurance and Leakage Risk Quantification” and “NRAP 

Recommended Practices for Managing Induced Seismicity Risk Associated 

with Geologic Carbon Storage”—are available through the National Energy 

Technology Laboratory’s (NETL) Energy Data eXchange (EDX). Public 

comment is sought through May 7, 2021. The reports are organized as a 

set of conceptual workflows that progress through the various stages of the 

geologic carbon storage project lifecycle. Recommendations are intended to 
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 DOE/NETL HIGHLIGHTS

support stakeholder decision-making related to site characterization, area of 

review, post-injection site care, and monitoring intensity and duration. NRAP 

is a collaboration of five U.S. national laboratories focused on quantifying and 

managing subsurface environmental risks to support implementation of safe 

and secure large-scale geologic carbon storage. 

NRAP Releases Dataset and Tools.

DOE’s NRAP released FutureGen 2.0 data to the public on NETL’s EDX. 

Stemming from a federally funded research and multi-year preservation effort, 

the release makes this dataset available to the carbon storage community for 

model simulation development and validation and for future machine learning/

artificial intelligence applications in carbon storage analysis. In addition, NRAP 

released the Passive Seismic Monitoring Tool, which is used for optimal design 

of passive seismic monitoring networks using surface or borehole geophones. 

DOE’s SMART Initiative Generates Dataset for CO2 Injection Site and 

Develops an LIP Framework.

DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory’s (NETL) Science-Informed 

Machine Learning for Accelerating Real-Time Decisions in Subsurface 

Applications (SMART) Team generated a comprehensive synthetic dataset for a 

realistic carbon dioxide (CO2) injection site. In addition, the SMART Real-Time 

Forecasting Team is developing a learning-based inversion-free prediction 

(LIP) framework that has the potential to produce real-time forecasting with 

uncertainty quantification informed by streaming observation data through 

parallel forward simulations. Funded by DOE’s Carbon Storage and Upstream 

Oil and Gas Programs, the SMART Initiative is a 10-year, multi-organizational 

effort with the goal of transforming data analysis and predictive capabilities for 

subsurface applications and significantly improving efficiency and effectiveness 

of carbon storage and unconventional oil and gas field operations.

APRIL 2021

DOE Briefs State Lawmakers on CO2 Management, Mitigation 

Technologies.

National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) Director Brian Anderson, Ph.D., 

addressed the Pennsylvania Senate Environmental Resources and Energy 

Committee, highlighting NETL-supported projects that reduce carbon dioxide 

(CO2) emissions, technologies that safely capture and store CO2, and processes 

that make value-added products from the carbon waste stream. The information 

briefing focused on the deployment and utilization of CO2 management 

technologies in Pennsylvania (USA). NETL conducts research and development 

(R&D) for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Carbon Storage Program to 

advance technologies that enable safe, cost-effective, permanent geologic 

storage of CO2. DOE’s Carbon Utilization Program is developing technologies 

to transform CO2 and other carbon byproducts and wastes into valuable 

products in an efficient, economical, and environmentally friendly manner. 

From NETL News Release. March 2021.

MAY 2021

DOE Announces Funding to Enhance Safety, Security of CO2 Storage.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced funding for four research 

and development (R&D) projects to enhance the safety and security of carbon 

dioxide (CO2) storage. The selected projects will look to address challenges 

related to long-term, commercial-scale storage of CO2, working to improve the 

tools to monitor the seal integrity of caprocks used in CO2 storage complexes 

and identify and reduce the risk of potential seismic activity. The projects will be 

managed by DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management’s (FECM) 

National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and will support the goals of the 

Advanced Storage R&D technology development area in DOE’s Carbon Storage 

Program. From DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management. May 

2021. 

DOE Announces Funding Focused on CCS for Power Generation.

DOE’s FECM announced federal funding for cost-shared R&D projects under 

a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) titled “Carbon Capture R&D for 

Natural Gas and Industrial Sources and Front-End Engineering Design Studies 

for Carbon Capture Systems at Industrial Facilities and Natural Gas Plants.” The 

funding is focused on carbon capture and storage (CCS) for power generation 

and industrial applications, with a goal of commercial deployment by 2030. 

NETL will manage the projects, which will support DOE’s Carbon Capture 

Program. From DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management. April 

2021.

JUNE 2021

DOE Leads International Forum to Develop Net-Zero Emissions 

Strategies.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is leading the creation of a new 

international forum dedicated to developing long-term strategies, such as 

carbon capture and storage (CCS), to reach global net-zero emissions. The 

Net-Zero Producers Forum includes Canada, Norway, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, 

and the United States, which collectively represent 40% of global oil and gas 

production. DOE, along with other governments, also announced several other 

initiatives to expand international cooperation in addressing potential climate 

issues and enhance clean energy innovation. The efforts were coordinated 

by DOE’s Office of International Affairs in support of President Biden’s 

Leaders Summit on Climate. From DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon 

Management. April 2021. 

JULY 2021

DOE-Sponsored, Battelle-Led CCUS Partnership Completed.

The final reports for the Midwest Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership 

(MRCSP) have been completed and approved by the U.S. Department of Energy 

(DOE), marking the completion of the MRCSP Program after 17 years of carbon 

capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) research and development (R&D). 

MRCSP’s work was funded mainly by DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon 

Management (FECM). Battelle led the MRCSP in phases, starting with the 

Characterization Phase in 2003, moving to multiple small-scale pilot tests in 

the Validation Phase in 2005, and culminating in the large-scale Development 

Phase in 2008. The focus now shifts to commercialization of CCUS, with 

Battelle continuing its leadership role, jointly with the Illinois State Geological 

Survey, of the Midwest Regional Carbon Initiative (MRCI). From DOE’s Office of 

Fossil Energy and Carbon Management. June 2021. 

DOE Announces Funding for DAC Technology.

DOE announced federal funding for six R&D projects that advance direct air 

capture (DAC) technology—a carbon dioxide (CO2) removal approach that 

extracts CO2 from the atmosphere. One of the selected projects will develop 

preliminary designs for large-scale DAC and work with partners on the designs 

to permanently store CO2 in underground facilities in Wyoming, Louisiana, 

and California. The projects will be managed by DOE’s FECM and the National 

Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). From DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and 

Carbon Management. June 2021.
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 DOE/NETL HIGHLIGHTS

AUGUST 2021

DOE-Sponsored, SSEB-Managed CCUS Partnership Completed.

The Southeast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (SECARB), one 

of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Regional Carbon Sequestration 

Partnerships (RCSPs), has concluded after nearly 20 years of collaboration and 

research. Established in 2003 and managed by the Southern States Energy 

Board (SSEB), SECARB set out to identify major sources of carbon dioxide (CO2) 

emissions, characterize the geology of a 13-state region, determine the most 

promising options for commercial deployment of CO2 storage technologies in 

their region, and validate the technology options. Phase III of SECARB consisted 

of two large-scale injection tests (the “Early Test” at Cranfield oilfield near 

Natchez, Mississippi, and the “Anthropogenic Test” at the Citronelle injection 

site in Alabama) that helped lay the foundation for future carbon capture, 

utilization, and storage (CCUS) projects. The conclusion of SECARB follows 

that of another National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL)-funded RCSP, 

the Midwest Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (MRCSP). From NETL 

News Release. July 2021.

SEPTEMBER 2021

DOE Names Phase I Winners of FECM Initiative.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon 

Management (FECM) announced the winners in Phase I of the SMART 

(Science-informed Machine Learning to Accelerate Real-Time Decisions in 

the Subsurface) Initiative. SMART leverages the expertise of seven national 

laboratories, as well as industry partners, universities, field laboratories, 

and carbon storage regional initiatives, to advance the understanding of the 

subsurface environment through machine learning. The four winners in Phase 

I of the SMART Visualization Platform Prize Challenge designed prototype 

platforms and/or mockups that demonstrate a user-friendly visualization 

platform. The platform concept is intended to transform how scientists, 

engineers, regulators, and the public interact with subsurface data. The 

winners will develop the prototypes provided by the SMART Initiative technical 

team. From FECM SMART. August 2021.

NRAP Publishes Integrated Assessment Model Journal Article.

DOE’s National Risk Assessment Partnership (NRAP) developed an opensource integrated assessment model (NRAP-Open-IAM) to help address 

questions about a potential geologic carbon storage site’s ability to effectively 

contain injected carbon dioxide (CO2) and protect groundwater and other 

overlying environmentally sensitive receptors. The model’s basic components, 

important features and capabilities, and functionality are highlighted in a 

journal article published by Environmental Modelling & Software. NRAP-OpenIAM is available for download on GitLab and the National Energy Technology 

Laboratory’s (NETL) Energy Data eXchange (EDX). NRAP is a collaboration of 

five U.S. national laboratories focused on quantifying and managing subsurface 

environmental risks to support implementation of safe and secure large-scale 

geologic carbon storage. From NRAP. July 2021.
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 PROJECT and BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTS

PROJECT and BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTS

OCTOBER 2020

CCS Study Moves to Geophysical Survey Stage.

The University of Wyoming, Basin Electric Power Cooperative, and other 

partners are working to develop a site capable of storing more than 50 million 

metric tons of CO2 underground as part of a DOE CarbonSAFE Initiative project. 

A geophysical survey has begun, covering approximately nine square miles 

around the Dry Fork Station power plant in Gillette, Wyoming (USA). Over 

the next three years, the project partners will conduct commercial-scale 

surface and subsurface testing, data assessment, and modeling; prepare 

and file construction permits with Wyoming’s Department of Environmental 

Quality; integrate the project with a separate CO2 capture study; and conduct 

the required National Environmental Policy Act analyses. From University of 

Wyoming. August 2020. 

CCS Feasibility Study Set to Begin.

A study to determine the feasibility of constructing a full-scale CCS facility 

project at a cement plant in Edmonton, Canada, is set to begin. The study will 

focus on the feasibility of capturing the majority (90 to 95%) of CO2 from the 

flue gas of the Lehigh cement plant. The International CCS Knowledge Centre 

is a partner on the project. From Journal of Commerce. August 2020. 

Agreement Reached on Scaled-Up CO2 Removal, Storage.

Climeworks, ON Power, and CarbFix will collaborate to build facilities to 

capture CO2 using DAC technology and store the CO2 via natural underground 

mineralization. The facilities will be built within ON Power’s Geothermal Park in 

Iceland, and the CO2 will be stored in basalt formations. From Carbon Capture 

Journal. September 2020.

Funding Awarded to CO2 Storage Project.

MIT Energy Initiative’s Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage Center awarded 

funding to a research project seeking to expand understanding of new 

processes for storing CO2 in basalt formations by converting it from an aqueous 

solution into carbonate minerals. The plan for the project, titled “High-fidelity 

monitoring for carbon sequestration: integrated geophysical and geochemical 

investigation of field and laboratory data,” is to conduct a comprehensive 

study to better understand the coupled chemo-mechanical processes that 

accompany CO2 storage in basalt formations. From MIT News. August 2020.

Marine-Based CO2 Capture System Has EOR Potential.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and partners will conduct test operations and 

measurements of a small-scale, ship-based CO2 capture demonstration plant 

to verify the plant equipment’s use as a marine-based CO2 capture system. 

Carbon dioxide captured as a result of the “Carbon Capture on the Ocean” 

(CC-Ocean) project has the potential to be recycled for use in EOR operations. 

The project is expected to last two years; following further operational tests, the 

plant is expected to be installed onboard a coal carrier. From Mitsubishi Heavy 

Industries. August 2020.

NOVEMBER 2020

US States to Establish Regional CO2 Transport, 

Storage Infrastructure Plan.

Seven U.S. states signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish 

a regional carbon transport plan by 2021. Under the MOU, the states 

will commit to the development of safe CO2 transport and storage. A state 

coordination group will be facilitated by the Great Plains Institute and informed 

by ongoing work by the Regional Carbon Capture Deployment Initiative—a 

network of 25 U.S. states working to ensure near-term deployment of CO2

capture projects. More information is available online. From Beaver County 

Times Online. October 2020.

Japanese Firms to Demonstrate CO2 Storage.

Two Japanese firms will conduct a demonstration project to store CO2

in Indonesia. Electric Power Development Co. and Japan NUS Co., with 

cooperation of the Indonesian government, will execute the four-year plan at 

Gundih gas field in Central Java Province. A gas pipeline will connect the gas 

field to the CO2 storage site. From Kyodo News. September 2020.

CCS Project Awarded in North Yorkshire.

Worley, an Australian engineering company, was selected to provide the early 

front-end engineering and design (pre-FEED) for two carbon capture units at 

Drax Group’s power station in North Yorkshire. The capture units will integrate 

bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology. Once 

operational, the capture units have the potential to capture approximately 4 

million metric tons of CO2 annually. From Energy Live News. September 2020.

Norway to Build CCS Project.

The Norwegian government proposed a funding package to enable large-scale 

implementation of CCS in Norway. The “Longship” funding package seeks to 

implement a full-scale CCS project that will capture CO2 emissions from the 

NORCEM Heidelberg cement plant in Brevik, near Oslo, and transport and store 

it under the North Sea. The full-scale CCS chain includes CO2 storage nearly 

10,000 feet under the ocean at the Northern Lights project, a collaboration 

among Equinor, Shell, and Total. Initially able to handle 1.5 million tons of CO2

per year, the site aims to be able to receive, inject, and store up to 5 million tons 

of CO2 per year when fully realized. From Forbes. September 2020.

Organizations Sign CCS MOU.

Three international organizations signed an MOU to further develop CCS 

technologies. Through the MOU, Technology Centre Mongstad, DNV GL, and 

SINTEF aim to help advance CCS technology from pilot demonstration to widescale commercial deployment. From TCM News. October 2020. 

Carbon Storage License Awarded in UK.

The UK’s Oil and Gas Authority awarded a CO2 appraisal and storage license to 

Eni UK Limited. Under the license, which will cover an area within the Liverpool 

Bay area of the east Irish Sea, Eni plans to reuse and repurpose depleted 

hydrocarbon reservoirs and associated infrastructure to store CO2 captured 

in northwest England and northern Wales. From ENI Press Release. October 

2020.

DECEMBER 2020

Wyoming CarbonSAFE Project Enters Phase III.

The University of Wyoming launched Phase III of their Carbon Storage 

Assurance Facility Enterprise (CarbonSAFE) project. Phase III of the Wyoming 

CarbonSAFE project includes finalizing site characterization, completing Class VI 

permitting, and conducting National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analyses. 

From University of Wyoming News. November 2020.

CCS Project Proposed in Denmark.

Plans for a CCS project in Copenhagen, Denmark, were unveiled. The project—a 

collaboration between Amager Resource Center (ARC) and Copenhagen Malmö 

Port—will have the potential to capture approximately 500,000 metric tons 

of CO2 from ARC. Once captured, the CO2 will be transported for storage in 

underground oil reservoirs. From Gasworld. November 2020.
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 PROJECT and BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTS

Moomba CCS Injection Trial Conducted.

Approximately 100 metric tons of CO2 were injected underground in depleted 

gas reservoirs as part of the final field trial for the Moomba CCS Project. The 

injection occurred in the Strzelecki field in the Cooper Basin in South Australia. 

According to Santos, an Australian gas supplier, the Moomba CCS Project has 

the potential to store up to 20 million metric tons of CO2 per year. From Santos. 

October 2020.

CO2 Storage License Application Submitted.

Chrysaor, a North Sea oil and gas producer, submitted a license application 

and will submit an application for a storage lease to store CO2 in a depleted 

gas reservoir. The applications support the V Net Zero Project, which seeks 

to store and transport CO2 from the Immingham cluster on Humberside. 

From Chrysaor News Release. November 2020.

MOU for Bio-CCS Projects Signed.

Vattenfall (Sweden) and Aker Carbon Capture (Norway) signed a Memorandum 

of Understanding (MOU) to accelerate the evaluation of future carbon capture 

sites in Sweden and Northern Europe. According to Vattenfall, the companies 

will collaborate to develop solutions for large-scale, commercial bio-CCS 

plants. The MOU has a two-year timeline. From Chemical Engineering. 

October 2020.

Large-Scale CCUS Plant to be Developed.

A large-scale CCUS plant will be developed in Almeria, Spain. Carbon Clean, 

LafargeHolcim, ECCO2, and Sistemas de Calor agreed to develop the project, 

which aims to capture CO2 emitted through the cement production process and 

recycle it for agricultural use for accelerated crop production. By accelerating 

the photosynthesis process, this technique has the potential to increase 

farm efficiency. According to the companies, the commercial applicability of 

this process has the potential to leverage 700,000 metric tons of CO2 and 

achieve 100% decarbonization at the plant. From Carbon Capture Journal. 

October 2020.

Partnership to Develop Offshore CO2 Transport, Storage in UK.

A partnership to develop offshore CO2 transport and storage infrastructure 

in the North Sea was formed. The Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP)—

comprising BP, Eni, Equinor, National Grid, Shell, and Total—will serve the 

proposed Net Zero Teesside and Zero Carbon Humber projects that aim to 

establish decarbonized industrial clusters in Teesside and Humberside, 

respectively. NEP submitted a bid for funding through the United Kingdom 

(UK) government’s Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge. From Equinor. 

October 2020.

JANUARY 2021

CO2 Injection Begins at Otway Stage 3 Project.

Australian CCUS research organization CO2CRC announced the 

commencement of CO2 injection operations at their Otway Stage 3 project

in southwestern Victoria, Australia. The project aims to develop monitoring 

and verification technologies for field applications that have a lower surface 

environmental footprint, can be operated and monitored remotely, and are 

more cost-effective and reliable than traditional CO2 monitoring methods. From 

CO2CRC Media Release. December 2020.

Project Certified for CO2 Storage.

Carbon dioxide storage beneath the Danish North Sea as part of Project 

Greensand was confirmed to be feasible by independent certification. 

The project completed the first phase of validation with the certification 

of feasibility to DNV GL’s (Det Norske Veritas Germanischer Lloyd) CCS 

certification regime and the international standard. DNV GL confirmed that 

the Nini West field in Denmark is conceptually suitable for injecting 0.45 

million metric tons of CO2 per year, per well, for a 10-year period. Project 

Greensand is aiming to have the first well from the Nini platform ready for 

injection in 2025, with the long-term goal of developing the capacity to 

store approximately 3.5 million metric tons of CO2 per year before 2030. 

From Oil and Gas Republic. November 2020.

Construction Begins at Storage Plant.

Construction began at Climeworks’ Ocra plant (Iceland), which combines 

direct air capture technology with CO2 storage. The construction involves two 

phases—Phase I began in October 2020 and included the infrastructure 

and foundation; in Phase II, the plant and machinery will be installed. Once 

complete, Ocra is expected to remove more than 4,000 tons of CO2 from the 

atmosphere per year. From Carbon Capture Journal. December 2020. 

Feasibility Study to be Conducted for Large-Scale CCS Project.

Neptune Energy will conduct a feasibility study for a large-scale CCS project 

in the Dutch North Sea. The project could achieve more than 50% of the CO2

reduction targeted by the Dutch industrial sector. From Offshore Magazine. 

December 2020.

Companies Collaborate on CCS Compression.

Aker Carbon Capture and MAN Energy Solutions signed a technologycooperation agreement to develop more energy-efficient compression 

solutions for CCS applications with heat recovery. The agreement will form 

the basis for project deliveries to carbon capture plants. From Carbon Capture 

Journal. December 2020.

Australian and Japanese Companies to Study CCS.

Australian and Japanese companies are reviewing plans to capture CO2 and 

store it under the ocean floor off the coast of Australia. The companies are 

working on proposals to ship industrial emissions across the Asia-Pacific 

region and store it under the seabed. From Japan Times. December 2020.

CCUS Pilot Project Underway.

Cambridge Carbon Capture (CCC) won the first phase of a United Kingdom (UK) 

Research and Innovation competition to pilot CO2LOC—its carbon capture and 

utilization technology. CCC’s CO2LOC technology enables CO2 storage through 

a two-stage mineralization process that stores CO2 in rock form and that 

can be utilized across a range of industries. From Cambridge Independent. 

December 2020.

MOU Signed to Collaborate on CCUS in Italy.

Italian companies Eni and Saipem signed a Memorandum of Understanding 

(MOU) to cooperate on potential CCUS opportunities in Italian industrial 

districts. The objective of the MOU is to contribute toward the decarbonization 

process of entire production chains to help achieve CO2 emissions reduction 

goals. From Eni Press Release. December 2020.

FEBRUARY 2021

Full-Scale CCS Facility to Be Installed in Norway.

A full-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) facility will be installed at a 

cement plant in Brevik, Norway. The HeidelbergCement Norcem project is 

expected to capture and store 400,000 tons of CO2 per year. Work on the 

facility is projected to begin in 2021, with the goal of beginning CO2 separation 

from the cement process in later years. The outcome is expected to be a 

50% reduction of emissions produced at the plant. From The Baltic Course. 

December 2020.

MOU Signed to Further Develop CCUS Value Chain.

Equinor Energy and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries signed a Memorandum of 

Understanding (MOU) for a low-carbon technology collaboration. Under the 

MOU, both companies will develop and use technology to reduce the CO2

footprint of oil and gas operations. The companies will look to further develop 

the hydrogen and CCUS value chains. From Mitsubishi Heavy Industries News 

Release. December 2020.
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

8

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 PROJECT and BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTS

Norwegian CO2 Storage, Transport Project to Proceed.

The Norwegian government has voted to fund the Northern Lights CO2 transport 

and storage project, enabling it to proceed. The Northern Lights project will be 

an open and available infrastructure that enables the transport of CO2 from 

industrial capture sites to a terminal in Øygarden for intermediate storage 

before being transported by pipeline for permanent storage in an underground 

reservoir. The project is the transport and storage component of Longship, the 

Norwegian government’s full-scale CCS project. From Carbon Capture Journal. 

December 2020.

Companies to Collaborate on CCUS Projects in India.

Carbon Clean and Veolia announced a joint venture to develop two CCUS 

projects in India. The newly established company, Veolia Carbon Clean, will 

finance, design, build, and operate the projects, as well as research the 

opportunity for other projects in India. From Carbon Clean. December 2020.

Locations Being Investigated for Storage, Liquefaction 

of CO2 in Sweden.

Five energy companies in Sweden will collaborate in a pre-study to investigate 

infrastructure for capturing and storing CO2. One location being studied by 

representatives of the Carbon Infrastructure Capture (CinfraCap) project is the 

Energy Terminal at the Port of Gothenburg (Sweden), where they are looking to 

identify a suitable location for intermediate storage and possible liquefaction of 

CO2. From Port of Gothenburg News Release. December 2020. 

Carbon Storage Consulting Services Contract Awarded.

Oxy Low Carbon Ventures was awarded a contract to provide carbon storage 

consulting services for Minnkota Power Cooperative’s Project Tundra. Oxy Low 

Carbon Ventures, a carbon management company, will advise Minnkota on 

the design and overall requirements of the project’s carbon storage facility. 

Minnkota is currently conducting front-end engineering and design studies. 

From Yahoo! December 2020.

UK Government to Fund CO2 Reduction Projects.

Six projects across the United Kingdom (UK) were awarded funding from the 

UK government to form a “net-zero industrial zone.” Among the projects is the 

Humber Industrial Cluster Plan, which will examine how hydrogen and CCS 

technology can be scaled up to help achieve net-zero emissions by 2040. 

From Energy Live News. January 2021.

MARCH 2021

Companies to Explore CCS Solutions.

LafargeHolcim and Schlumberger New Energy announced a partnership to 

explore the development of CCS solutions. The two companies will study the 

feasibility of capturing CO2 from two LafargeHolcim cement plants—based in 

North America and Europe—using Schlumberger’s carbon storage technology. 

From The Maritime Executive. February 2021.

ExxonMobil to Invest in CCS.

ExxonMobil announced the creation of a business to commercialize its lowcarbon technology portfolio, with an initial focus on CCS technologies. According 

to the company’s press release, ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions will advance 

plans for more than 20 new CCS opportunities worldwide to enable largescale emissions reductions. ExxonMobil also plans to invest in lower-emissions 

energy solutions. From ExxonMobil News Release. February 2021.

EOR Pipeline Project Approved.

The Bureau of Land Management (USA) approved the Wyoming Pipeline 

Corridor Initiative, designating approximately 1,100 miles of federal land 

for potential future pipeline development. The proposal identifies routes 

across Wyoming that could be utilized for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). From 

Wyoming Tribune News. 

January 2021.

Chevron Invests in CCUS Startup.

Chevron plans to invest in Blue Planet, a startup that uses captured CO2 to 

produce carbonate aggregates that can be used for building materials. The 

two companies signed a letter of intent to collaborate on potential pilot projects 

and commercial opportunities. Blue Planet’s CO2 capture process does not 

require that CO2 be purified and enriched before use, which has the potential 

to reduce energy and cost compared to other CO2 utilization technologies. The 

technology could also be used to store CO2 in building materials at a significant 

scale. From The Chemical Engineer. January 2021. 

Feasibility Study Underway for India CCUS Project.

Datsur, Air Liquide, and the Bureau of Economic Geology at the University of 

Texas at Austin (USA) have been selected to conduct a feasibility study for a 

carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) project in India. The project will 

be conducted at Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.’s Koyali refinery near Vadodara, 

Gujarat, which has the potential to capture more than 5,000 tons of CO2 per day 

for large-scale EOR. The project will examine the technical viability, economic 

cost, and feasibility of capturing CO2; develop technical specifications, designs, 

and plans; review and identify necessary approvals and permits required; 

and analyze the environmental benefits of the CCUS project. From Chemical 

Engineering. January 2021.

CCS Project Awards Contract.

Subsea 7—a subsea company servicing the offshore energy industry—and 

Aibel—a service company within the oil, gas, and offshore wind industries—

were awarded contracts for the Northern Lights Project, which is part of the 

Norwegian full-scale CCS project. Through an engineering, procurement, 

construction, and installation (EPCI) contract, Subsea 7 will lay the pipeline that 

will transport CO2 from the intermediate storage site to the injection well in the 

North Sea. Aibel was awarded an EPCI contract for the Northern Lights subsea 

control system. The scope of work includes upgrades to the platform to operate 

the system that will connect it to the Northern Lights subsea facilities. From 

Carbon Capture Journal. February 2021.

Companies Sign MOU to Develop Integrated CO2 Capture Solution.

Chart Industries and Svante signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to 

develop an integrated CO2 capture and storage solution to make high-purity CO2

products from industrial flue gas streams. The facilities will employ Svante’s 

solid-sorbent technology to capture CO2 directly from post-combustion flue 

gases to produce pipeline-grade CO2 for transportation and storage. From 

Gasworld. February 2021.

APRIL 2021

Engineering and Design Contract Awarded 

for Large-Scale CCS Project.

Audubon Companies—a services company that supports the energy, 

infrastructure, and industrial markets—was awarded an engineering and 

design contract for a large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) project that 

has the potential to capture and store approximately 1.5 million metric tons of 

CO2 annually from processing facilities. The captured CO2 will be transported 

via pipeline to produce a high-purity CO2 product, then used for enhanced oil 

recovery (EOR) operations. From Audubon Companies Press Release. March 

2021. 

Collaboration to Develop BECCS Plant in California.

Schlumberger, Chevron, and Microsoft announced a collaboration to develop 

a bioenergy plant with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) in Mendota, 

California (USA) designed to produce carbon-negative power. The BECCS plant 

will convert agricultural waste biomass into renewable synthesis gas that will 

be mixed with oxygen in a combustor to generate electricity. More than 99% 

of carbon from the BECCS process is expected to be captured and stored in 

nearby geologic formations. From Carbon Capture Journal. March 2021.
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 PROJECT and BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTS

Proposal to Store CO2 in North Dakota.

Summit Carbon Solutions is proposing a project to capture CO2 from at least 17 

midwestern ethanol plants and pipe it to North Dakota for storage. The project, 

which is planned to be operational by 2024, has the potential to capture and 

store up to 10 million tons of CO2 per year. Summit’s plan involves adding 

equipment at participating ethanol plants to capture CO2 and compress it into 

liquid form, where it would then travel through feeder pipelines to a larger 

pipeline that extends across the Upper Midwest (USA) into North Dakota for 

eventual storage, or potentially for EOR. From The Bismarck Tribune. March 

2021.

Large-Scale CCS Project Announced.

Valero Energy Corp., the BlackRock Global Energy & Power Infrastructure Fund, 

and Navigator Energy Services are partnering to develop a large-scale CCS 

project. The initial phase of the project includes capturing CO2 and transporting 

it though a pipeline spanning five midwestern states, with the potential to store 

up to 5 million metric tons of CO2 per year. Operations are expected to begin 

in late 2024. From Business & Industry Connection Magazine. March 2021. 

Partnership to Explore DAC and CO2 Storage in Norway.

Climeworks and Northern Lights have agreed to explore a full-chain CO2

removal project in Norway. Climeworks will combine their DAC technology, 

which has the potential to reach a net-CO2 removal efficiency of more than 

90%, with the Northern Lights’ infrastructure. The project includes the capture 

of CO2 from industrial stationary sources in the Oslo-fjord region; shipping it to 

an onshore terminal on the Norwegian west coast; and transferring it, in liquid 

form, to an offshore storage location below the North Sea. From Climeworks 

News Release. March 2021.

Drax to Build BECCS Power Station.

Drax will begin the planning process for its proposal to build and deploy BECCS 

in the United Kingdom (UK). The company plans to first secure a Development 

Consent Order from the UK government. If the application is successful, work to 

build Drax’s first two BECCS units could begin in 2024. From Carbon Capture 

Journal. March 2021.

Marine CCS Project Underway.

A Finnish company is conducting a pilot project to explore how CCS can be 

developed and scaled in maritime applications. Wärtsilä, which manufactures 

and services power sources and other equipment in the marine and energy 

markets, is installing a 1-megawatt (MW) pilot plant at its test facility in Moss, 

Norway, which will allow the company to test its CCS technologies in a range of 

scenarios and conditions. From Diesel & Gas Turbine Worldwide. March 2021.

Study Assesses Feasibility of Establishing CCS.

Elkem, an advanced materials supplier, is conducting a feasibility study to 

establish CCS at Norwegian smelters. The study will assess the technical 

and economic feasibility of installing CCS technology at Elkem’s Norwegian 

plants. As part of the effort, Elkem is partnering with Aker Carbon Capture and 

Saipem to evaluate various designs of carbon capture facilities and liquefaction 

facilities, as well as evaluate uploading CO2 from the Northern Lights project to 

transport ships. From Elkem News Release. February 2021.

Norway CCUS Project Signs Agreement with Technical Advisors.

AGR signed a two-year framework agreement with the Norwegian stateowned Gassnova for the Longship CCUS project. Under the agreement, AGR 

(a CCUS solutions technical advising company) will act as technical advisors 

by offering technical expertise across the geoscience, reservoir, drilling, and 

well engineering disciplines, in addition to facilities and cost engineering. 

From Carbon Capture Journal. February 2021.

MOU Includes CO2 Storage.

ENGIE and Equinor signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to investigate 

the development of low-carbon value chains in Belgium, the Netherlands, and 

France. Specifically, the MOU will be to investigate the production and market 

potential for hydrogen from natural gas, whereby the CO2 will be captured and 

stored offshore. From Equinor News Release. February 2021.

Proposal Submitted for CCS Facility in Greece.

Energean, an exploration and production company, submitted a proposal to 

the Greek government to build a CO2 storage facility near its Prinos oil field in 

northern Greece. From JWNEnergy. February 2021.

MAY 2021

Company Focuses Artificial Intelligence on Characterizing 

Subsurface Stresses.

Petrolern—a technology company working on subsurface solutions for carbon 

storage, geothermal, and oil and gas projects—will use a DOE grant to develop 

and commercialize artificial intelligence-based technology for estimating Earth 

stresses. A better understanding of the Earth’s stress field at a project site 

can improve subsurface operations, such as enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and 

carbon storage. Petrolern’s technology can also be used in geothermal energy 

applications and in both conventional and unconventional oil and gas resource 

development. From Journal of Petroleum Technology. April 2021.

Partnership to Develop Industrial CCS Pipeline System.

Valero—a U.S.-based renewable fuel producer—joined a partnership to build 

an industrial-scale CO2 pipeline system to support CCS in the Midwest United 

States. Teaming with BlackRock Global Energy & Power Infrastructure Fund 

and Navigator Energy Services, Valero will be an “anchor shipper” on the CCS 

pipeline system. The first phase is expected to have more than 1,200 miles 

of CO2-gathering pipelines across five Midwest states (Nebraska, Iowa, South 

Dakota, Minnesota, and Illinois) with the potential to store up to 5 million metric 

tons of CO2 per year. Startup is planned in 2024. From S&P Global. March 

2021.

LNG Company Proposes CCS Project.

NextDecade Corp.—a U.S. liquified natural gas (LNG) company—is looking to 

develop a CCS project at its proposed Rio Grande LNG export plant in Texas 

(USA). According to NextDecade, the CCS project would have the potential to 

reduce CO2 emissions at Rio Grande by more than 90%. From Reuters. March 

2021.

MOU to Explore Carbon Capture, Transport, and Storage Project.

Baker Hughes and Horisont Energi signed a Memorandum of Understanding 

(MOU) for the Polaris carbon storage project in Norway. Under the MOU, the 

companies will explore the development and integration of technologies to 

minimize the cost and delivery time of carbon capture, transport, and storage. 

Horisont’s Polaris offshore carbon storage project is part of its “Barents Blue” 

project, which has the potential to store more than 100 million tons of CO2. In 

addition, the companies will collaborate on new processes and technologies 

across the carbon capture, transport, and storage value chain. From Horisont 

Energi Press Release. March 2021.

Companies to Develop CCS Plant.

Equinor and SSE announced they will develop two low-carbon United Kingdom 

(UK) power stations, one of which would be equipped with CCS technology. 

Under the cooperative agreement, Equinor—a Norwegian state-owned energy 

company—and SSE—an energy company headquartered in Scotland—will 

help support the UK’s transition to net-zero. Keadby 3, the planned plant with 

CCS, would be a 900-megawatt (MW) power station fueled by natural gas and 

fitted with carbon capture technology; the captured CO2 would be transported 

via pipeline for storage under the southern North Sea. From S&P Global. April 

2021. 
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 PROJECT and BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTS

Testing Initiated at CO2 Circulation Plant.

DENSO began testing a demonstration facility designed to capture and recycle 

CO2 at its Anjo Plant’s Electrification Innovation Center. The CO2 circulation 

plant is designed to capture CO2 generated by the plant and recycle it as an 

energy source for the facility. From After Market News. April 2021.

Company Introduces CCUS Technology.

A South Korea-based chemical company is using gas separation membranes 

to increase the purity of CO2 and change it to industry materials. Lotte Chemical 

installed a demonstration facility in the southern industrial port of Yeosu, where 

they plan to operate a commercial facility by 2023. According to the company, 

the facility would capture more than 60,000 tons of CO2 per year and use it to 

produce dry ice and semiconductor cleaning liquid. From Aju Business Daily. 

April 2021.

Large-Scale CCS Project Selects Technologies.

Wabash Valley Resources selected a range of Honeywell UOP technologies to 

capture and store up to 1.65 million tons of CO2 annually from a repurposed 

gasification plant in West Terre Haute, Indiana (USA). UOP will provide 

technology licenses, basic engineering, and specialty equipment to store CO2

and process synthesis gas from the gasification unit. From Oil & Gas 360. April 

2021.

JUNE 2021

DOE-Funded Project Completed.

The University of Illinois announced the completion of the Illinois Basin—

Decatur Project (IBDP). Primarily funded through DOE/NETL’s Midwest 

Geological Sequestration Consortium (MGSC), IBDP was designed to evaluate 

and test CCS technology at commercial scale, with the goal of confirming the 

ability of the Mt. Simon Sandstone to store 1 million metric tons of CO2 over 

three years. The Illinois State Geological Survey designed, implemented, and 

monitored the project, which was hosted and operated by ADM. From ADM 

News Release. May 2021.

Companies Seek CCUS Opportunities.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Italian oil company Eni 

and Australian energy company Santos could lead to the development of 

carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) facilities. Under the MOU, 

the companies plan to look at potential optimizations, synergies, and sharing 

of infrastructure; the potential expansion of a liquified natural gas field; and 

possibly developing CCUS facilities. From Offshore Engineer. May 2021.

Dutch Government Grants Subsidies for CCS Project.

The Dutch government granted subsidies to a consortium for the Port of 

Rotterdam CCS project. The project aims to capture CO2 in the Rotterdam port 

area and store it in gas fields in the North Sea. The CCS subsidies are a means 

to cover the cost(s) of capturing CO2 by the consortium, which includes Royal 

Dutch Shell, ExxonMobil, Air Liquide, and Air Products. The project is expected 

to be operational by 2024. From Reuters. May 2021.

Companies Further Collaboration on CCS.

Aker Carbon Capture and SINTEF entered into an MOU to advance CCS 

solutions. The two companies have collaborated on CCS development for more 

than a decade, and currently collaborate on several R&D projects. The MOU is 

intended to advance ongoing and future work in the CCS field. From Business 

Insider. May 2021.

Australian University Announces CCS Partnership.

Researchers at the University of Newcastle (Australia) announced a partnership 

to further their work on capturing CO2 for either storage or utilization. The 

university’s Global Innovation Centre for Advanced Nanomaterials will explore 

the conversion of halloysite nanotubes into advanced nanomaterials that can 

be utilized as novel adsorbent systems and catalysts for CO2 capture and 

conversion processes. From University of New Castle. April 2021.

Additional Locations for CCS Project Announced.

Green Plains Inc.—a biorefining company based in Omaha, Nebraska (USA)—

and Summit Carbon Solutions (SCS)—an affiliate of Summit Agricultural 

Group—entered into a long-term carbon offtake agreement as part of a 

pipeline expansion of SCS’s CCS project. The project expansion allows for 

the development of infrastructure to capture and transport CO2 for long-term 

storage. From Green Plains Press Release. April 2021.

CCUS Research Project Completes Injection Phase.

Australian CCUS research organization CO2CRC announced the completion 

of CO2 injection beneath the Otway International Test Center (OITC) in 

Nirranda South, Victoria. The injection marks the end of field operations for 

the Otway Stage 3 Project, which is developing next-generation subsurface 

CO2 monitoring and verification technologies for application in commercial CCS 

projects. More than 95,000 metric tons of CO2 have been stored at OITC since 

operations began in 2007. From CO2CRC News Release. April 2021.

Carbfix to Build CO2 Storage Hub.

Iceland startup Carbfix announced that preparations to build an onshore 

CO2 mineral storage facility are underway. Based in the bay of Straumsvik in 

southwestern Iceland, the CO2 Mineral Storage Terminal would receive CO2

emissions from industries in Northern Europe by ship; Carbfix would then inject 

the CO2 into basaltic bedrock. According to company officials, the preparation 

phase will begin later this year with the engineering and permitting processes. 

Drilling of the first wells is planned for 2022, with the aim of starting operations 

in 2025 and reaching full-scale operations by 2030. From High North News. 

April 2021.

MOU to Explore Feasibility of CCS Solutions.

Borg CO2—a joint project between 18 industry partners and the port of Borg—

and Northern Lights—a Norwegian transport and storage company—signed 

an MOU to explore the feasibility of CO2 capture, transport, and storage solutions 

for industrial partners in the Fredrikstad region. Under the MOU, captured CO2

would be transported to a CO2 loading terminal hosted by Borg CO2, where it 

would then be loaded onboard a Northern Lights-operated ship for transport 

to Øygarden on the Norwegian west coast for underground injection. From 

Carbon Capture Journal. April 2021.

Deal Struck in Acorn CCS Project.

Oil and gas firms Shell and Harbour Energy reached a deal with clean 

energy firm Storegga on the Aberdeenshire Acorn CCS project. The “Acorn 

Development Agreement” formalizes their relationship and helps to guide the 

firms through a final investment decision, construction, and operation. The 

project is expected to be operational in the mid-2020s. From Energy Voice. 

April 2021.

MOU Signed on Australian CCUS Project.

China Huaneng Group—an energy and technology company—and 

Glencore—a natural resource company—signed an MOU to cooperate on 

CCUS technology, beginning with the CTSCo Project at Millmerran power 

station in Australia. Glencore’s CTSCo Project is an onshore CCUS project that 

aims to demonstrate CCUS at industrial scale. From Carbon Capture Journal. 

April 2021.
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

11

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 PROJECT and BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTS

JULY 2021

Company Launches CCS Project.

Pending regulatory approvals, Venture Global LNG plans to launch a CCS 

project at its Calcasieu Pass and Plaquemines liquid natural gas (LNG) 

facilities, located in the southwestern and southeastern corners of Louisiana, 

respectively. In addition to capturing and storing approximately 500,000 

tons of CO2 per year from both sites, the company also plans to use similar 

infrastructure to capture and store an additional 500,000 tons of CO2 from 

the CP2 facility (once permitted) located in Cameron Parish, Louisiana. From 

Renewable Energy Magazine. May 2021.

CCS Joint Venture Formed.

Talos Energy and Storegga Geotechnologies agreed to jointly assess and 

develop CCS opportunities on the U.S. Gulf Coast and in the Gulf of Mexico. The 

two companies will also explore cooperation with others across the CCS value 

chain. Under the joint venture framework, the companies plan to originate and 

mature CCS ventures, combining Talos’ offshore operations and subsurface 

experience with Storegga’s CCS project experience. From Offshore Magazine. 

June 2021.

CCS Projects Chosen for UK’s GHG Removal Program.

The UK government selected projects for Phase I of its DAC and GHG removal 

program. Among the winning projects are a bio-hydrogen with CCS project; 

a carbon capture and hydrogen production from biomass project that will 

separate and store CO2 streams; a carbon-negative community energy project 

that will produce biochar for carbon storage; a project that will combine biochar 

production, combined heat and power generation, and CCUS; and a bioenergy 

with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) project. From Bioenergy Insight. May 

2021.

Companies Agree to Advance CCS Project.

Equinor and Horisont Energi agreed to advance a CCS project in the Barents 

Sea, off the coast of northern Norway. The two Norwegian companies entered 

into the joint development agreement for the Polaris project, which is expected 

to have the potential to store more than 100 million metric tons of CO2. After the 

feasibility phase, Polaris will enter the concept phase, with startup anticipated 

in 2025. From Upstream. May 2021.

Companies Partner on BECCS Project.

Drax Group and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) agreed to collaborate on 

a BECCS project at Drax’s power station in North Yorkshire, England. The 

power station has been converted to use sustainable biomass instead of coal, 

reducing its CO2 emissions by more than 85%. By using MHI’s carbon capture 

solvent and deploying BECCS technology, Drax aims to have their first BECCS 

unit operational as soon as 2027, capturing and storing at least 8 million metric 

tons of CO2 a year by 2030. From Power Engineering International. June 2021.

UK to Invest in Large-Scale GHG Removal Projects.

UKRI will invest in projects to investigate the viability of five methods of largescale GHG removal, with a goal of helping the UK reach its net-zero target by 

2050. One of the research areas includes afforestation and assessing effective 

locations for carbon storage. The five interdisciplinary projects will conduct 

research over 4.5 years to better understand the effectiveness, cost, and 

limitations of the methods at scale. From UKRI. May 2021.

AUGUST 2021

Partnership to Develop CO2 Storage, Transport System.

Two Canadian companies (Pembina Pipeline Corporation and TC Energy 

Corporation) announced a partnership to jointly develop a carbon transport 

and storage system. The Alberta Carbon Grid (ACG) will have the potential to 

transport more than 20 million metric tons of CO2 annually, according to the 

companies. Designed to be an open-access system, the ACG will support the 

CCUS industry in Alberta, Canada. From TC Energy News Release. June 2021. 

Shell to be Technical Developer of CCS Project.

Shell will be the Technical Developer for the Acorn CCS Project in Scotland, the 

oil and gas company announced. In that role, Shell will be responsible for the 

technical planning and execution of CO2 capture, transport, and storage. Based 

at the St. Fergus gas terminal in Northeast Scotland, the Acorn CCS Project 

plans to repurpose existing gas pipelines to take CO2 directly to a storage 

site located approximately 60 miles offshore from St. Fergus. In addition, the 

Acorn CCS Project signed an MOU with a group of companies to advance a 

CCS system linking Scotland’s industrial heartland to the Acorn CO2 transport 

and storage system in Northeast Scotland by 2027. From Offshore Engineer. 

June 2021.

Partnership to Explore CCS in France.

A group of companies signed an MOU to explore the development of CCS 

infrastructure in the industrial basin in the Normandy region of France. The 

objective of the MOU—among Air Liquide, Borealis, Esso S.A.F., TotalEnergies, 

and Yara International ASA—is to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 3 million 

tons per year by 2030. The companies will assess the technical and economic 

feasibility of implementing an industrial CCS chain from their industrial facilities 

for storage in the North Sea. From Air Liquide News Release. July 2021.

Carbon Storage Project Announced.

Green Carbon Technologies, Texas Forest Services, and Texas Parks and 

Wildlife will collaborate on new carbon storage and forestation efforts, the 

companies announced. The new company, Green Carbon Technologies LLC, 

projects their efforts will result in storage of an average of 7 tons of CO2 per 

year, per acre, over their lifespan, with initial project sites estimated to be up to 

250,000 acres in size. From Digital Journal. June 2021.

Companies Offer Full Value Chain CCS.

Companies in Norway and Iceland will combine their technologies to offer 

the full CCS value chain. Aker Carbon Capture and Carbfix signed an MOU 

to collaborate on CCS solutions to accelerate carbon removal. The agreement 

also covers opportunities to evaluate strategic options on future storage 

projects and collaboration. In addition, Aker Carbon Capture signed another 

MOU—with Carbfix and Elkem Iceland—to reduce CO2 emissions at Elkem 

Iceland’s ferrosilicon plant through CCS in basalt structures. From Aker Carbon 

Capture. July 2021. 

CCUS Partnership Announced.

Blue Planet and Sulzer will partner to further develop and optimize Blue 

Planet’s carbon mineralization process for CCUS. The U.S.-based Blue Planet 

is developing a sustainable CCUS system that captures CO2 from a variety 

of emissions sources, mineralizing the CO2 to form synthetic limestone 

aggregates by storing the CO2 in a solid form to be incorporated in concrete. 

From Carbon Capture Journal. June 2021.
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 PROJECT and BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTS

SEPTEMBER 2021

UK Research Center Funds CCS Projects.

The United Kingdom Carbon Capture and Storage Research Centre (UKCCSRC) 

announced the funding of 10 CCS projects to help the UK achieve net-zero 

emissions targets. The projects will research CO2 capture from industrial 

sources and directly from air, as well as research environmental protection and 

CO2 monitoring. The UKCCSRC’s mission is to ensure CCS plays an effective 

role in reducing net-CO2 emissions while securing affordable and controllable 

electricity supplies, providing low carbon heat, and maintaining competitive 

industries for the UK. From Energy Voice. July 2021.

Companies Collaborate on Seismic for CCUS.

PGS, a marine geophysics company, and CGG, a geoscience technology 

company, signed an MOU to combine their seismic products and technical 

capabilities applied to the CCUS industry. The companies plan to explore, 

conceptualize, and create new data products using existing seismic data to 

facilitate screening and evaluating carbon storage sites. From Carbon Capture 

Journal. July 2021.

Companies Plan to Collaborate to Advance CCS Project.

A group of companies will collaborate with Navigator CO2 Ventures to advance a 

carbon storage project across five Midwestern U.S. states. Tenaska, Advanced 

Resources International (ARI), and Chabina Energy Partners will help advance 

a CO2 storage pipeline: the Heartland Greenway System. Tenaska and ARI will 

lead the overall development of the initial CCS site in Illinois, with Chabina 

helping to promote the commercial outreach and contracting structure. From 

Natural Gas Intelligence. July 2021.

Large-Scale CCS Facility Proposed in Canada.

Shell announced a proposal to build a large-scale CCS project in Alberta, 

Canada. The proposed Polaris CCS project would capture CO2 from the Shellowned Scotford refinery and chemicals plant located near Edmonton. The 

initial phase of the project is projected to be operational by the middle of the 

decade, with the potential to capture and store approximately 750,000 metric 

tons of CO2 a year. From Shell News Release. July 2021.

Project Makes CO2 Storage Recommendations.

The Subsurface Evaluation of CCS and Unconventional Risks (SECURe) project 

developed several monitoring and remediation techniques to help raise the 

carbon storage readiness levels of potential storage sites. The British Geological 

Survey-led project also provided guidance on communicating with stakeholders 

and communities to develop public acceptance of CCS. Knowledge gained 

through the SECURe project can be used to show the potential of CO2 storage 

as a safe, efficient, and viable option for advancing decarbonization of industrial 

and energy emitters. From Carbon Capture Journal. August 2021.

Carbon Storage to be Tested in North Dakota.

With funding from the North Dakota Industrial Commission, Midwest AgEnergy 

will study the feasibility of storing CO2 in a rock formation underground. 

Midwest AgEnergy will use seismography to study the Deadwood Formation 

approximately 3,000 feet below the surface in North Dakota. According to 

Midwest AgEnergy, if the study shows the formation is capable of holding the 

CO2, it could reduce or eliminate 200,000 tons of CO2. From The Jamestown 

Sun. July 2021.

CO2 Capture Plant Installed on Ship.

A project led by Japan’s Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (“K” LINE) completed the 

installation of an operational CO2 capture plant aboard an ocean-going vessel, 

and is now advancing to the commissioning and testing phase. The project is 

being conducted with support from the Maritime Bureau of Japan’s Ministry 

of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism, and involves converting the 

design of an existing CO2 capture system for onshore power plants to a marine 

environment. The CO2 captured from the vessel is expected to be recycled 

as a new CO2 source for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) or as a raw material in 

synthetic fuel through methanization. From The Maritime Executive. August 

2021.
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

13

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 LEGISLATION and POLICY

LEGISLATION and POLICY

OCTOBER 2020

Reports Highlight Carbon Pricing, CCUS.

A pair of reports released in September 2020 discuss the potential policies 

that could impact energy transition scenarios. In an Energy Outlook released 

by the United Kingdom (UK)-based BP, the role of future carbon prices was 

highlighted. In addition, a report titled “Delivering on America’s Pledge,” 

released by the U.S.-based sustainability research organization Rocky Mountain 

Institute, discussed the role of CCUS in power generation. From S&P Global. 

September 2020.

UK Publishes CCUS Policy Documents.

The UK’s Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) 

published new policy documents that focus on CCUS. The policy documents 

are BEIS’s follow-up to previous consultation on CCUS and hydrogen policy. 

The documents establish “Expert Working Groups” and discuss topics such 

as preferred business models; the future of CCUS clusters supported by a 

CCS Infrastructure Fund and a consumer-funded, gas-fired CCS power station; 

decarbonization; CCUS chain links; and export opportunities within CO2 storage. 

From Lexology (subscription may be required). September 2020.

European Commission to Propose CO2 Emissions Reduction.

The European Commission (EC) will propose updated 2030 European Union 

(EU) CO2 reduction targets, with the goal of making the EU climate-neutral 

by 2050, according to officials. The current reduction target, agreed upon in 

2018, was to reduce CO2 emissions to 40% of 1990 levels. The new target 

will be proposed as an amendment to the EC’s draft EU climate law proposed 

earlier in 2020. From S&P Global. September 2020.

New Zealand Risk Reporting for Financial Institutions.

New Zealand officials announced new legislation mandating climate risk 

reporting for large financial institutions. Under the legislation, the financial 

institutions would be required to report annually on governance, risk 

management, and mitigation strategies for potential climate change. The 

disclosure requirements, which are based on the Task Force on ClimateRelated Disclosure framework, would apply to approximately 200 institutions 

throughout New Zealand. From Financial Review (subscription may be 

required). September 2020.

NOVEMBER 2020

Company Files to Obtain US EPA Permit for CCS Project.

Gulf Coast Sequestration initiated the process for obtaining a Class VI 

Underground Injection Control permit from the U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA). The Louisiana (USA)-based company plans to build and operate 

a CO2 storage project with the potential to store more than 80 million tons of 

CO2 in geologic formations. From Gulf Coast Sequestration. October 2020.

Carbon Dioxide Removal Law Database Launched.

Researchers at Columbia University (USA) launched a database of CO2 removal 

laws that provides an annotated bibliography of legal materials related to CO2

removal and carbon storage and use. Publicly available online, the database 

has more than 500 resources on legal issues related to CO2 removal, including 

techniques such as BECCS and soil carbon storage, as well as more than 230 

legal resources on CO2 storage, utilization, and transportation. From Phys.org. 

October 2020. 

EU Invests in CCS Projects.

European Union (EU) member states agreed with the European Commission’s 

(EC) proposal to invest in European infrastructure projects, including several CCS 

projects. Funding will be awarded to the Porthos CO2 transport network project, 

which aims to develop an open-access, cross-border network to transport CO2

from industrial sources in Europe’s main ports to offshore storage locations in 

the North Sea. The funding will come from the EU’s financial mechanism for 

trans-European infrastructure, the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Program. 

The full list of projects selected under the CEF Energy Call for Proposals is 

available. From Carbon Capture Journal. October 2020.

Alberta Invests in CCUS.

The government of Alberta (Canada) is investing in a CCUS grant program 

to help industries reduce emissions, increase competitiveness, and lower 

carbon compliance costs. The Industrial Energy Efficiency and Carbon Capture 

Utilization and Storage (IEE CCUS) Grant Program is part of a larger investment 

of the Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) fund, and targets 

improvements at facilities that are regulated, or eligible to be regulated, by the 

TIER Regulation. From Carbon Capture Journal. October 2020.

DECEMBER 2020

Legislation to Develop CO2-Removal Technology Introduced.

Legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that would 

authorize an approach to research, develop, and demonstrate CO2-removal 

technology. The Carbon Removal, Efficient Agencies, Technology Expertise 

(CREATE) Act would direct federal agencies to include the development of CO2-

removal technology as part of their annual budget requests and ensure that the 

work is coordinated across the federal government. From U.S. Congresswoman 

Ann McLane Kuster Press Release. October 2020.

Net-Zero Initiative Launched.

University of Oxford (Oxfordshire, England) researchers launched the Oxford 

Net Zero initiative to help address global CO2 emissions. Oxford Net Zero

is a collaboration of research and tools to support policy interventions and 

address questions such as how CO2 will be distributed among the atmosphere, 

oceans, biosphere, and lithosphere, and where the CO2 will be stored. From 

Environmental Leader. November 2020.

JANUARY 2021

CCUS Bills Introduced to Extend 45Q.

The Accelerating Carbon Capture and Extending Secure Storage Through 45Q 

(ACCESS 45Q) Act was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. The 

bill aims to extend the date for projects to begin construction to claim the 45Q 

tax credit for carbon oxide storage by 10 years and would also provide a direct 

pay elective for the full value of the tax credits. In addition, the 45Q CCUS Tax 

Credits Amendment Act of 2020 was introduced in the U.S. Senate. The bill 

looks to extend 45Q’s start of construction date by five years to counter delays 

in finalizing regulator guidance. From Biomass Magazine. December 2020.

US Legislation Introduced to Support Natural Carbon Storage.

Two U.S. Senators introduced legislation to support the reduction of atmospheric 

CO2 through the restoration and conservation of forests, grasslands, wetlands, 

and coastal habitats. The Trillion Trees and Natural Carbon Storage Act amends 

existing international conservation programs to include carbon storage among 

the list of approved technical assistance categories. From U.S. Senator Mike 

Braun Press Release. December 2020.

UK Government Plan Includes CCUS Commitment.

The UK government outlined a 10-point plan that includes a commitment 

to CCUS. The plan sets a target to capture 10 million metric tons of CO2 by 

2030 and includes new investment to spur CCUS technologies. From Carbon 

Capture Journal. November 2020.
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

14

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 LEGISLATION and POLICY

FEBRUARY 2021

Bill Introduced to Support CO2 Storage.

A bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that supports the 

buildout of the infrastructure necessary to transport CO2 from where it is 

captured to where it could be stored. The Storing CO2 and Lowering Emissions 

(SCALE) Act would also authorize DOE to provide grants for procuring carbon 

utilization products for infrastructure projects, as well as build upon DOE’s 

Carbon Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise (CarbonSAFE) projects. Under 

the bill, increased funding would also enable the U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency to review permit applications for Class VI CO2 storage wells in a timely 

manner and provide grants for states to establish and operate their own Class 

VI permitting programs. From Ethanol Producer. December 2020.

IRS Finalizes Carbon Capture Tax Credits.

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the U.S. Treasury Department 

released final regulations for businesses seeking to claim carbon capture tax 

credits under section 45Q. The final rules aim to help businesses understand 

how the tax credit for qualified carbon oxide storage can benefit companies 

claiming carbon capture credits. From Accounting Today. January 2021.

New York State Establishes GHG Emissions Cap.

New York State adopted a regulation that requires statewide greenhouse 

gas (GHG) emissions limits. Under the New York Climate Leadership and 

Community Protection Act, emissions limits in the state are required to reflect 

a 40% reduction in statewide GHG emissions by 2030 and an 85% reduction 

by 2050 (both based on 1990 levels). From Lexology. December 2020. 

Agreement on Bill to Reduce CO2 Emissions Reached.

Agreement was reached on a Massachusetts bill to reduce the state’s CO2

emissions by at least 85% below 1990 levels by 2050. The bill (S. 2995) 

would establish a net-zero GHG emissions limit for 2050, as well as statewide 

emissions limits every five years over the next three decades. From Milford 

Daily News. January 2021.

Researchers Produce CCUS Study.

Researchers from the University of Wyoming, the West Virginia University 

School of Law, and the U.S. Energy Association published a study identifying 

regulatory shortcomings that may impact the deployment of CCUS technologies 

in the United States. The study identified legal and regulatory obstacles to 

CCUS deployment, such as land, mineral, pore space, or water rights; eminent 

domain; or pipeline or CO2 storage regulations. The U.S. Energy Association 

conducted a webinar outlining the results of the study. From Casper StarTribune. December 2020.

UK Oil and Gas Strategy Includes Support for CCS Projects.

The UK Oil and Gas Authority submitted a revised strategy in the UK Parliament 

that supports the government’s net-zero targets. Under the revised strategy, 

industry is encouraged to collaborate with the supply chain and actively support 

CCS projects. From Carbon Capture Journal. December 2020. 

UK Energy White Paper Builds on CCS Development.

The UK government released an Energy White Paper that outlines plans to 

support a transition to net-zero. The white paper builds on the Ten-Point Plan, 

which includes funding for the development of four CCS hubs and clusters. 

From Global CCS Institute. December 2020.

MARCH 2021

Carbon Market Bill Passes State Senate Natural Resources 

Committee.

A bill to establish a voluntary carbon market in Indiana (USA) passed the 

Indiana Senate Natural Resources Committee. Senate Bill 373 would establish 

a carbon market program that facilitates carbon market trading in Indiana, as 

well as a “Climate-Friendly Farming and Forestry Registration Program” that 

registers technical advisers and creates an advisory council. The bill will next 

head to the full Senate for consideration. From Indiana Environmental Reporter. 

February 2021.

Bill Aims for Tax Exemption to Support CO2 Storage.

Legislation to create a tax exemption for storage of CO2 was passed in the North 

Dakota (USA) Senate. North Dakota already exempts CO2 used for EOR from 

sales and use tax; the legislation, Senate Bill 2152, provides clarification that 

the same tax treatment can be extended to CO2 used for geologic storage. The 

bill will next go to the North Dakota House. From Ethanol Producer Magazine. 

January 2021.

New Mexico Emissions Reduction Bill Passes First Step.

Legislation focused on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in New 

Mexico (USA) passed the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee. 

House Bill 9, “The Climate Solutions Act,” would establish carbon emissions 

reduction targets and incentivize businesses to find solutions to meet the 

targets. A key element of the bill includes the establishment of statewide 

GHG emissions standards, with goals of reaching a 50% reduction in GHGs 

by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050. The bill will be heard next by the 

New Mexico House State Government, Elections, and Indian Affairs Committee. 

From Los Alamos Reporter. February 2021.

APRIL 2021

Bill Funds Tax Credit, Could Benefit CCS Projects.

A pair of U.S. Senators unveiled a bill that would provide tax credits for 

energy manufacturers to spur reinvestment in rural areas. The American 

Jobs in Energy Manufacturing Act of 2021 would, among other actions, 

build new or retrofit existing manufacturing and industrial facilities to 

produce or recycle products that capture, remove, use, or store CO2. 

From Biomass Magazine. March 2021. 

Legislation to Modernize Tax Credit for CCUS Retrofit Projects.

Legislation to modernize tax credits to better support the use of CCUS technology 

was reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Carbon Capture 

Modernization Act would update the Section 48A tax credit’s performance 

efficiency standards to reflect the capabilities of existing technology, which is 

expected to help promote the adoption of CCUS technology. The Section 48A 

tax credit was established in 2005, with certain CO2 capture projects made 

eligible in 2008. From MSN. March 2021. 

Carbon Storage Tax Exemption Bill Passes Legislature.

The North Dakota Legislature passed a bill exempting CO2 stored underground 

from sales tax. A similar tax exemption is already in place for CO2 injected into 

old oil fields for EOR. Senate Bill 2152 will advance to the governor of North 

Dakota. From The Bismarck Tribune. March 2021.

Australian Government Opened CCUS Development Fund.

The Australian government opened their CCUS Development Fund, which 

provides businesses with grants for pilot projects or pre-commercial projects 

aimed at reducing CO2 emissions. The fund aims to attract private sector 

investment. Projects that applied for the grants had to be located in Australia 

and be completed by June 2025. More information on the fund and grants is 

available online. From Global CCS Institute. March 2021.
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

15

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 LEGISLATION and POLICY

Malaysia Unveils CCS Opportunities.

Petronas Malaysia Petroleum Management unveiled potential CCS opportunities, 

including deploying CCS technology at the Kasawari development. The first 

injection is planned for 2025. A total of 46 trillion cubic feet of storage volume 

has been identified. From Energy Voice. February 2021.

MAY 2021

Lawmakers Introduce Legislation to Plant Trees, Store CO2.

A group of U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives introduced the Repairing 

Existing Public Land by Adding Necessary Trees Act (REPLANT Act) in the U.S. 

Senate. The bill would help reforest 4.1 million acres by planting 1.2 billion 

trees over the next 10 years, which has the potential to store 758 million 

metric tons of CO2 over the trees’ lifetime. A summary of the bill is available 

online. From U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 

Press Release. March 2021.

Climate Bill Passes Washington State Senate.

The Washington State Senate passed a bill that would institute a decreasing 

cap on CO2 emissions. In addition, the Climate Commitment Act (CCA) would 

include investments in new infrastructure, transit, agriculture, forestry, and 

shipbuilding projects to spur job growth. CCA also includes provisions to 

prioritize historically overburdened communities, including the establishment 

of an Environmental Justice and Equity Advisory Panel. From PR Newswire. 

April 2021.

JUNE 2021

Roadmap Aims to Maximize CCUS Potential in UK Through 

Government, Industry Collaboration.

The UK’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy released a 

roadmap that outlines how the UK government and industry can collaborate 

to create an industrialized UK CCUS supply chain. “CCUS Supply Chains: a 

roadmap to maximise the UK’s potential” is organized across four crosscutting 

activities: supply chain mapping, capability development, skills and innovation, 

and finance and trade. From Carbon Capture Journal. May 2021.

JULY 2021

U.S. Senators’ Coalition Seeks Update on CCUS Legislation.

A coalition of U.S. Senators signed a letter to the White House Council on 

Environmental Quality seeking an update on the implementation of the Utilizing 

Significant Emissions with Innovative Technologies (USE IT) Act. Introduced 

in 2019, the USE IT Act was signed into law as part of the Consolidated 

Appropriations Act of 2021 to support the development of CCUS projects. From 

U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer Press Release. May 2021.

U.S. Senators Introduce Bill to Help CCUS Projects.

U.S. Senators introduced legislation that would help support domestic energy 

production, create new economic opportunities, and reduce CO2 emissions. 

The Carbon Capture Improvement Act would make it easier for power plants 

and industrial facilities to finance the purchase and installation of CCUS 

equipment using private activity bonds (PABs), which are tax-exempt. Under 

the bill, if more than 65% of CO2 emissions from a facility are captured and 

stored underground, then 100% of the eligible equipment can be financed with 

PABs. The bill would also allow facilities to utilize the existing 45Q tax credit for 

carbon storage for industrial emissions. From U.S. Senator Rob Portman Press 

Release. May 2021.

Legislation Incentivizes Carbon Storage.

Legislation was introduced in the U.S. Senate to incentivize investment in 

climate-forward forestry practices, such as carbon storage. In addition to 

encouraging forest landowners to adopt voluntary practices to capture CO2, the 

Rural Forest Markets Act would establish an investment program at USDA to 

offer guaranteed loans for companies to help small and family foresters create 

and sell forest credits for storing CO2. From Congresswoman Elise Stefanick 

Press Release. June 2021.

EU To Unveil Policy Measures.

The European Commission announced plans to unveil a range of new policy 

measures to help the European Union (EU) reach its target of 55% emissions 

reductions (compared to 1990 levels) by 2030. The Commission’s “Fit for 55” 

package includes a new carbon border adjustment mechanism and, according 

to officials, could help to strengthen the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS). 

From Recharge News. May 2021.

AUGUST 2021

Legislation Aims to Reduce CO2 Emissions.

The U.S. House of Representatives introduced legislation that would create a 

national renewable energy standard with a goal of reducing CO2 emissions. 

The American Renewable Energy Act of 2021 would require U.S. energy 

producers to meet goals for renewable energy generation, resulting in a net 

decrease in emissions of criteria air pollutants in impacted communities. From 

U.S. Congressman Peter Welch Press Release. June 2021. 

Legislation Helping to Standardize Carbon Market Passes U.S. 

Senate.

Legislation that may help agricultural activities qualify for carbon market 

credits passed the U.S. Senate. The Growing Climate Solutions Act aims to 

help private landowners find the right carbon market for their operations by 

addressing the uncertainties and variabilities surrounding practices, such 

as no-till farming or planting cover crops, and standardizing best practices. 

From Williston Herald. June 2021.

SEPTEMBER 2021

UK Government Opens Consultation on CCUS Policy.

The UK’s Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy sought views 

on proposed duties, powers, functions, and objectives of an economic regulator 

for CO2 transport and storage networks. The purpose of the consultation was 

to inform the continued development of CCUS policy and legislative proposals. 

The responses will be used to help the UK government continue to develop 

policy and consider alternatives, as appropriate. A response to the consultation 

will include a summary of the responses received. From GOV.UK. August 2021.
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

16

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 EMISSIONS TRADING

EMISSIONS TRADING

OCTOBER 2020

RGGI Release Results of Auction 49.

The states participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) 

announced results of their 49th auction of CO2 allowances, during which 

16,192,785 CO2 allowances were sold at a clearing price of $6.82. None of 

the 11.8 million cost containment reserve (CCR) allowances made available 

were sold; CCR is a fixed supply of allowances made available if prices exceed 

certain levels ($10.77 in 2020). The auction generated $110.4 million for 

reinvestment in strategic programs such as energy efficiency, renewable 

energy, and greenhouse gas (GHG) abatement programs. Additional information 

on RGGI auctions is available online. From RGGI Press Release. September 

2020.

EC to Adjust EU ETS Regulations.

According to EU executives, the EC will adjust the EU emission trading system 

(ETS) to be included in the bloc’s carbon border adjustment mechanism. The 

new carbon border tax is expected to provide an alternative to providing free 

CO2 allowances. From Euractiv. September 2020. 

NOVEMBER 2020

RGGI States Initiate Auction Process for Auction 50.

The states participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) 

released the Auction Notice for their 50th quarterly CO2 allowance auction, to 

be held December 2, 2020. Auction 50 will offer 16,237,495 CO2 allowances 

for sale at a minimum reserve price of $2.32. An 11.8 million CO2 allowance 

cost containment reserve (CCR) will also be made available. (The CCR will 

be accessed if the interim clearing price exceeds the CCR trigger price of 

$10.77.) Auction 50 will be the last quarterly auction in which states will 

offer CO2 allowances for purchase to meet CO2 compliance obligations for 

the fourth control period, which began on January 1, 2018, and extends 

through December 31, 2020. Market participants can continue to obtain CO2

allowances through various secondary markets. From RGGI News Release. 

October 2020.

Carbon Market Partnership Launched.

Two companies formed a pilot project to create a voluntary CO2 removal 

marketplace. The pilot program, formed by Truterra, LLC and Nori, will focus 

on using blockchain technology to translate existing farm data that capture the 

CO2 removal impact of on-farm conservation practices into potential carbon 

credits. The pilot is expected to provide farmers with a better understanding of 

the carbon market potential. From Successful Farming. October 2020.

DECEMBER 2020

EU Commission Reports on CO2 Emissions.

The European Commission released a report detailing the European Union’s 

(EU) output of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions under Europe’s carbon market. 

According to the report, EU carbon market emissions fell by 9.1% in 2019 

from 2018. Approximately 45% of EU’s GHG emissions are regulated by the 

EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). Under the EU ETS, businesses can buy 

permits through auctions held on behalf of EU member states. From Reuters. 

November 2020. 

JANUARY 2021

Results of 50th RGGI Auction Released.

The states participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) 

announced the results of their 50th auction of CO2 allowances. A total of 

16,237,495 CO2 allowances were sold at a clearing price of $7.41, with 

bids ranging from $2.32 to $15.00 per allowance. In addition, none of the 

11.8 million cost containment reserve (CCR) allowances made available were 

sold. (The CCR is a fixed additional supply of allowances made available if 

CO2 allowance prices exceed certain price levels [$10.77 in 2020].) Auction 

50 generated more than $120.3 million for states to reinvest in strategic 

programs, including energy efficiency and greenhouse gas (GHG) abatement 

programs. Additional details are available in the Market Monitor Report for 

Auction 50. From RGGI News Release. December 2020.

FEBRUARY 2021

RGGI States Initiative Auction Process for Auction 51.

The RGGI-participating states initiated the auction process for their 51st

quarterly CO2 auction, scheduled for March 3, 2021. Auction 51 will offer 

23,467,261 CO2 allowances for sale at a minimum reserve price of $2.38. An 

11,976,778 CO2 allowance cost containment reserve (CCR) will also be made 

available (the CCR will be accessed if the interim clearing price exceeds the 

CCR trigger price of $13.00). From RGGI News Release. January 2021.

Daily Carbon Credit Assessment Launched.

IHS Markit launched a daily pricing suite for global voluntary carbon offset 

credits. According to the company, IHS Markit’s OPIS Global Carbon Offset 

Report encompasses daily price assessments in response to demand for 

benchmark pricing for voluntary carbon credits. From Nasdaq. December 

2020. 

MARCH 2021

RGGI to Conduct Program Review.

The RGGI-participating states intend to initiate a program review in 2021, as 

stated in their Principles to Accompany Model Rule Amendments. To date, two 

program reviews have been conducted, which considered program design and 

outcomes, as well as potential changes or new program elements. The RGGIparticipating states intend to publish a preliminary program review schedule 

later in 2021, including a public engagement plan to solicit input to inform the 

review process. From RGGI News Release. February 2021.

EU Carbon Auction Clears at Record High Price.

A February 2021 CO2 carbon allowance auction under the European Union 

(EU) Emissions Trading System (ETS) cleared at the highest auction price since 

the EU ETS launched in 2005, according to auction host European Energy 

Exchange. From S&P Global. February 2021.

ICE to Move EU Carbon Trading to Netherlands.

The Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), which provides price transparency within 

energy markets, announced that it will move its trading of European carbon 

futures and options from London to its Netherlands-based exchange in 

Amsterdam. The date of the move has not been announced, but it is expected 

to take place later in 2021. From Nasdaq. February 2021. 

APRIL 2021

Adjustment to RGGI Cap Announced.

The states participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) 

announced the third adjustment to the RGGI cap to account for banked 

allowances. Each of the RGGI states revised its CO2 Budget Trading Program to 

be consistent with the updated RGGI Model Rule, which was released in 2017. 

The updated Model Rule addressed the private bank of CO2 allowances through 

a Third Adjustment for for Banked Allowances (TABA), which is a reduction to 

the states’ CO2 allowance base budgets that are equivalent to the private bank 

of CO2 allowances (allocation years 2009–2020). The TABA is made over the 

five-year period 2021–2025. From RGGI News Release. March 2021.
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

17

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 EMISSIONS TRADING

European Parliament Adopts Cross-Border CO2 Tax.

The European Parliament adopted a resolution to reduce GHG emissions 

in the European Union (EU) by implementing a carbon tax on imports and 

commodities covered by the EU’s Emissions Trading Systems (ETS). According 

to the European Parliament, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism 

(CBAM) must be compatible with the World Trade Organization, and revenues 

generated should be used to support the European Green Deal. The European 

Commission is expected to present a legislative proposal for the CBAM in the 

second quarter of 2021. From Balkan Green Energy News. March 2021.

MAY 2021

RGGI States Initiate Auction Process for Auction 52.

The states participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) 

initiated the auction process for their 52nd quarterly CO2 auction, scheduled 

for June 2, 2021. Auction 52 will offer 22,987,719 CO2 allowances for sale 

at a minimum reserve price of $2.38. An 11,976,778 CO2 allowance cost 

containment reserve (CCR) will also be made available (the CCR will be 

accessed if the interim clearing price exceeds the CCR trigger price of $13.00). 

From RGGI News Release. April 2021.

RGGI Releases Compliance Report.

The RGGI-participating states released the Compliance Summary Report for 

RGGI’s fourth three-year control period (January 1, 2018–December 31, 

2020). The report found that 198 of the 203 power plants (97.5%) subject 

to RGGI requirements met their compliance obligations. The RGGI program 

requires fossil fuel power plants 25 MWs or larger to purchase and hold one 

CO2 allowance for each ton of CO2 released during the control period. From 

RGGI News Release. April 2021.

German Government Adopts Carbon Release Rules.

The German government adopted a Carbon Leakage Ordinance aimed at 

providing relief for companies impacted by the German national carbon 

emissions trading system. Implemented in 2021, the German national carbon 

emissions trading system complements the European Union emissions trading 

system (EU ETS). While the EU ETS applies to large industrial facilities, Germany 

created a similar cap-and-trade system for the heating and transportation 

sectors. From Lexology. April 2021. 

Companies to Sell Emissions Credits Under MOU.

A U.S. Agricultural company and a Japanese trading house entered into an 

MOU to utilize agricultural land to store CO2. By using organic fertilizers and 

improving soil, Indigo Ag and Sumitomo Corp. will increase the amount of CO2

that can be absorbed into the ground and then sell the amount that has been 

reduced from the atmosphere as an emissions allowance. Joint research will 

also be conducted on CO2 storage in paddy fields. From Nikkei Asia. April 2021.

Carbon Trading Desk Launched.

Trafigura—a global commodities trading firm—launched a carbon trading 

desk. The Geneva-based firm will be involved in voluntary offsets, as well 

as regulated carbon markets in the United States and the EU. From Yahoo! 

Finance. April 2021.

JUNE 2021

Australia Seeks Partners to Help Develop Carbon Exchange.

Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator sought partner(s) to facilitate the 

development of a domestic exchange market for carbon offset units. According 

to officials, the carbon exchange would complement the current Australian 

over-the-counter market and accelerate Australia’s emissions reduction. From 

Regulation Asia. May 2021.

JULY 2021

RGGI States Release Market Reports.

The states participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) 

released the Annual Report on the Market for RGGI CO2 Allowances: 2020 and 

the Report on the Secondary Market for RGGI CO2 Allowances: First Quarter 

2021. The annual market report for 2020 reviewed four auctions in 2020 and 

found no evidence of anti-competitive conduct. The report for the first quarter 

of 2021 also found no evidence of anti-competitive conduct. From RGGI News. 

May 2021.

Results of 52nd RGGI Auction Released.

The RGGI-participating states announced the results of their 52nd auction of CO2

allowances. A total of 22,987,719 CO2 allowances were sold at a clearing price 

of $7.97, with bids ranging from $2.38 to $12.51 per allowance. In addition, 

none of the 11.98 million cost containment reserve (CCR) allowances made 

available were sold. (The CCR is a fixed additional supply of allowances made 

available if CO2 allowance prices exceed certain price levels [$13.00 in 2021].) 

None of the 11.31 million emissions containment reserve (ECR) allowances 

made available were sold. (The ECR is a designated quantity of allowances 

to be withheld if an auction’s interim clearing price is below an established 

price level [$6.00 in 2021]). Auction 52 generated $183,212,120 for states to 

reinvest in strategic programs, including energy efficiency, renewable energy, 

and GHG abatement programs. Additional details are available in the Market 

Monitor Report for Auction 52. From RGGI News Release. June 2021.

UK Hosts First CO2 Emission Auction.

The Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (ICE) hosted the UK’s first emissions trading 

scheme (UK ETS). In addition to providing continuity from the EU ETS, the 

scheme also focuses efforts to reach the UK’s goal of reaching net-zero GHG 

emissions by 2050. From mondaq. May 2021.

AUGUST 2021

RGGI Report Details Investment of 2019 Auction Proceeds.

The RGGI-participating states released a report tracking the investment of 

proceeds generated from their regional CO2 allowance auctions. The report

tracks investments of RGGI proceeds in 2019, providing state-specific success 

stories and program highlights. In 2019, according to the report, $217 million in 

RGGI proceeds were invested in programs such as energy efficiency, clean and 

renewable energy, greenhouse gas (GHG) abatement, and direct bill assistance. 

From RGGI Press Release. June 2021.

SEPTEMBER 2021

Nationwide Carbon Market Opens in China.

A nationwide carbon market opened in China. In 2011, the country launched 

a pilot carbon trading scheme in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Chongqing, 

Shenzhen, Hubei Province, and Guandong Province. In September 2020, China 

announced its goal to have carbon emissions peak by 2030 and to achieve 

carbon neutrality by 2060. From Pinsent Masons. August 2021.

Britain ETS Update.

According to Intercontinental Exchange®, Britain auctioned 2,594,000 UK 

emissions permits at 47.25 pounds ($65.49) per metric ton at its auction held 

in August 2021. Britain’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) started trading in 

May 2021 to replace the European Union’s (EU) ETS. Since the launch, more 

than 38 million CO2 permits have been traded. From Reuters. August 2021.
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

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October 2020 – September 2021 SCIENCE

SCIENCE

OCTOBER 2020

Monitoring System to Track CO2 Storage in Soil.

A monitoring system designed to track soil carbon storage on dairy farms is 

being developed in the Netherlands. Researchers from Wageningen University 

and Research (WUR) and FrieslandCampina, a Dutch dairy company, partnered 

to develop the monitoring system to better inform farmers on how soil carbon 

storage affects their dairy farms. For example, an increase in soil organic matter 

could lead to improved soil carbon storage, thus lowering a farms’ “carbon 

footprint.” The research, titled “Possibilities for Monitoring CO2 Sequestration 

& Decomposition of Soil Organic Matter on Dairy Farms,” is available on the 

WUR website. 

Researchers Study Ability of Forests to Store CO2.

University of Leeds (UK) researchers conducted a study on the long-term 

CO2 storage capacity of forests. The study, published in the journal Nature 

Communications, analyzed the relationship between tree growth and tree 

lifespan by examining more than 200,000 tree-ring records from 82 tree 

species from sites across the world. The results showed that accelerated tree 

growth results in shorter tree lifespans, thus leading researchers to question 

the previously assumed future net carbon uptake of forests this century. 

From University of Leeds. September 2020.

Impact of Animal-Sourced Food Production on CO2 Emissions 

Studied.

According to a study, reduced meat production could result in storing up to 16 

years of CO2 emissions by 2050. The study, conducted by scientists from New 

York University (USA), found that shifting global food production to plant-based 

diets by 2050 has the potential to store 332 to 547 gigatons of CO2. Published 

in the journal Nature Sustainability, the study concluded that lowering the 

demand for meat production and regrowing vegetation in areas where native 

vegetation has been compromised to make space for animal foods has the 

potential to help store between 9 and 16 years’ worth of CO2 emissions by 

2050. From Plant Based News. September 2020. 

NOVEMBER 2020

Increasing CO2 Storage Capacity in US Forests.

According to an analysis by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest 

Service, fully stocking non-stocked and poorly stocked forests may lead to a 

20% increase in the amount of CO2 that forests can store. The USDA study 

was based on publicly available data from more than 130,000 forested plots 

in the Forest Service’s Forest Inventory and Analysis Program. The study was 

published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 

From USDA News Release. September 2020.

Scientists Discover “Natural Laboratory” to Test Carbon 

Storage Theory.

Geoscientists at the University of Sydney found the Tweed River valley in 

northeastern New South Wales to be a “natural laboratory” to test the viability 

of rock weathering to store CO2. According to the study, published in the journal 

Frontiers in Earth Science, when common rocks break down, they absorb 

CO2 to form carbonates that can then be washed into the oceans, essentially 

allowing river valleys like the Tweed to act as carbon sinks. Scientists believe 

this act of common rock weathering has the potential to absorb millions of 

metric tons of CO2 from the atmosphere; however, it has never been tested at 

scale. Scientists believe the Tweed catchment area will enable these claims to 

be tested. From The University of Sydney News. October 2020.

DECEMBER 2020

Wooden Buildings Could Store CO2.

A study found that wooden buildings have the potential to store approximately 

half of the cement industry’s CO2 emissions. In collaboration with the Finnish 

Environment Institute, researchers from Aalto University in Helsinki, Finland, 

conducted the study, which estimated the CO2 storage potential of using wood 

to construct residential buildings in Europe. According to the analysis, if 80% 

of new homes were made of wood, the buildings could store 55 million tons 

of CO2 a year (equivalent to 47% of the cement industry’s annual emissions 

across Europe). From Earth.com. November 2020.

Study to Investigate Potential for CO2 Storage Testbed.

The British Geological Survey (BGS) will conduct a study using preliminary technical 

and permitting evidence to identify a range of location and design options for a 

CO2 storage testbed. Conducted on behalf of the Natural Environment Research 

Council (NERC), the project aims to define future investment options in CO2

storage research, outline the CCS landscape for future investment decisions, 

gather technical and business case evidence to de-risk further investment, 

and help define the required capabilities and scientific objectives of a testbed. 

From BGS News. October 2020.

JANUARY 2021

Monitoring System for CCS Operations Launched.

Silixa launched a distributed acoustic sensing-based system for CCS monitoring. 

According to the company’s news release, the fiber-optic monitoring system, 

referred to as Carina® CarbonSecureTM, includes continuous and microseismic 

monitoring throughout the lifetime of a CO2 storage facility to ensure safety 

over the stages of CCS. In addition, the company claims the system is a 

reservoir management tool that can be deployed to assess the viability of 

geologic formations for CO2 storage during site characterization; monitor well 

and storage integrity, as well as microseismic activity, during CO2 injection; and 

provide 4D monitoring of the CO2 plume migration throughout the lifetime of 

the facility. From Silixa News Release. November 2020.

Researchers Study Red Sea Carbon Storage System.

A team of researchers from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology 

(Saudi Arabia) used an underwater robot to investigate the carbon storage 

potential of the Red Sea, factoring in water temperature and oxygen depletion. 

By studying the fate of organic carbon at different depths, the researchers 

hope to better predict how oceans absorb and store atmospheric CO2 in the 

future. From Phys.org. December 2020.

Deep Tillage of Soil Can Improve Carbon Storage: Study.

Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 43 separate studies to further 

understand the relationship between deep tillage and soil organic carbon 

(SOC). According to their results, published in Renewable and Sustainable 

Energy Reviews, deep tillage can enhance SOC and increase storage of CO2 by 

approximately 8%. From Concordia University. December 2020.

Marine Scrubber Technology to Include CCS.

A Norwegian company developed an emissions capture system that helps 

promote compliance with regulations and is equipped with CCS capabilities. 

Developed by TECO 2030, “Future Funnel” could help the shipping industry 

reduce emissions and address the International Maritime Organization’s 

GHG targets while permitting existing ships to operate. From The Maritime 

Executive. December 2020.
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 SCIENCE

FEBRUARY 2021

Research Partnership to Use CCUS Technology.

A research partnership to use CCUS technology to produce plastic was formed. 

Braskem, a polyolefins producer, and the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) 

(USA) will develop a new method for producing ethylene—a raw material 

used to make thermoplastic resins—that will utilize CCUS technology. The 

project will use the CCUS technology under development at UIC to connect 

the capture and conversion of waste CO2 streams with the production of 

sustainable feedstock for making plastic. Braskem will assist with scale-up 

of the technology and help validate the theoretical and experimental studies 

produced by UIC. From Braskem News Release. December 2020.

Scientific Development Could Improve CO2 Capture.

Researchers from Swansea University (UK) developed a new way of producing 

carbon spheres that has the potential to improve carbon capture technologies. 

According to scientists, carbon spheres play an important role in gas adsorption 

and storage. The Swansea team adapted an existing method of creating 

carbon spheres (chemical vapor deposition) by using pyromellitic acid as both 

a carbon and oxygen source and applied the method at different temperatures. 

From Swansea University Press Release. December 2020. 

Scientists Convert CO2 into Jet Fuel.

Scientists from Oxford University successfully converted CO2 into jet fuel using 

a technique that reverses the process of burning fuel by relying on the organic 

combustion method. By heating a mix of citric acid, hydrogen, and an ironmanganese-potassium catalyst, the team was able to convert CO2 into a liquid 

fuel capable of powering jet aircraft. According to the scientists, the technique 

has the potential to make conventionally powered aircrafts with net-zero CO2

emissions. From Yahoo! December 2020. 

MARCH 2021

New Carbon Storage Studies Launched.

Agronomic research trials and field demonstrations are being conducted to 

help farmers add carbon storage to their operations. AGCO—an agricultural 

machinery and solutions company—will conduct research trials in Africa, 

Switzerland, Denmark, and the United States, focusing on best practices to 

maximize carbon stores. From No-Till Farmer. February 2021.

New Method Could Boost CO2 Storage Rates.

Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT; USA) 

developed a method that could boost the performance of systems that use 

catalytic surfaces to enhance the rates of carbon-storing electrochemical 

reactions. In such catalytic systems, the movement of a stream of gas containing 

CO2 is typically sluggish, slowing down the rate of CO2 conversion. Results of 

the study, published in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science, show that 

the new design ensures the CO2 stream stays concentrated, nearly doubling 

the performance of the system. From Carbon Capture Journal. January 2021.

APRIL 2021

Amazon Rainforest May Release More CO2 than it Stores—Study.

According to research supported by National Geographic, the Amazon rainforest 

might be releasing more GHGs into the atmosphere than it can absorb. The 

report, published in the journal Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, found 

that GHGs (e.g., methane and nitrous oxide) being released in the Amazon 

basin offset and may potentially exceed the region’s ability to store CO2. 

From The Weather Channel. March 2021.

Engineers Developing Concrete with Increased CO2 Storage 

Capability.

Research conducted by Purdue University (USA) engineers led to the discovery 

of a way to potentially double the carbon storage potential of concrete. The 

study, which appeared in the scientific journal Construction and Building 

Materials, showed that by adding small amounts of nano-titanium dioxide to 

the cement mix to make concrete, it became more efficient at absorbing CO2

than other cement pastes. The addition also accelerated the rate of carbon 

absorption and increased the total volume of CO2 the cement could absorb. 

Purdue University also released a video based on their work. From Carbon 

Capture Journal. February 2021.

MAY 2021

Concrete Reduces CO2 Emissions.

A California (USA)-based company developed a process for injecting concrete 

with CO2 emissions from power plants or other industrial facilities. CarbonBuilt 

Inc.’s approach uses hydrated lime as a base material for the manufacture 

of concrete, then injects the CO2 emissions to cure the concrete into usable 

form. As a result, the CO2 is stored in the concrete, reducing emissions from 

the concrete manufacturing process by 50 to 70%, according to the company. 

CarbonBuilt completed two pilot projects that demonstrated the technology 

and is one of several teams that qualified for the final round of the XPrize 

competition, which supports the development of technologies that convert CO2

into usable products. From Los Angeles Business Journal. April 2021.

Report: Carbon Storage Key to Net-Zero Farming.

According to a report by the Scottish Suckler Beef Climate Change Group, the 

beef industry could play a major role in making farming a net-zero business 

by focusing on carbon storage practices. The report found that the Scottish 

Suckler-based beef industry has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas 

emissions by 24 to 39% by increasing soil carbon storage where possible. 

From The Scottish Farmer. April 2021.

JUNE 2021

Startup Uses Kelp to Store CO2.

A company based in Maine (USA) is farming kelp to capture and store CO2

beneath the ocean floor. Running Tide Technologies grows the kelp in a 

hatchery and then moves it to biodegradable buoys once matured. According 

to the scientists, kelp—a type of seaweed—captures CO2 at one of the fastest 

rates of any species in the world. As the plant grows, it eventually sinks to 

the bottom of the ocean floor. Running Tide is working with scientists and 

universities to collect data to monitor the CCS potential. From CNN. May 2021. 

Company to Store CO2 as Ocean Bicarbonate.

The UK-based company Cquestr8 secured funding to develop carbon capture 

technology using natural processes to store CO2 as stable ocean bicarbonate. 

The Cquestr8 process will store CO2 while also providing ocean ecosystem 

co-benefits through the deployment of marine bicarbonate. Cquestr8 targets 

decarbonization of the cement, lime, and steel production sectors. From 

Carbon Capture Journal. April 2021.

Startup Unveils CCS Technology.

High Hopes launched a CCS technology that uses high-flying balloons to 

capture CO2 emissions at high altitudes. The captured CO2 is then brought 

down to the ground for either underground storage or re-use. According to 

the company, low temperatures and constant winds save most of the energy 

required for the process. From Power Engineering International. April 2021.
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 SCIENCE

Mangrove Loss Could Create CO2 Hotspots—Study.

A study led by Australia’s Griffith University identified six mangrove-rich 

regions that could become future “hotspots” of CO2 emissions due to the 

potential loss of mangroves. The study, published in the journal Global Change 

Biology, integrated global datasets for carbon stocks, mangrove distribution, 

deforestation rates, and land-use change drivers into a predictive model of 

mangrove CO2 emissions, allowing the researchers to project CO2 emissions 

and soil carbon storage potential. According to the study, mangroves have high 

carbon densities and can store large amounts of CO2 for long periods. From 

Scroll.in. May 2021.

JULY 2021

Canadian Project Uses Seeds to Store CO2.

A project based in British Columbia, Canada, will use seeds to regenerate large 

swathes of land to store CO2. Seed the North will collect seeds, combine them 

in biodiverse seedpods, and use drone technology to drop them over target 

areas disturbed by natural events and industry for forest regeneration. From 

Crosscut. May 2021.

Companies to Collaborate on CCS Monitoring Research.

Geoscience technology companies CGG and Geopic signed an R&D agreement 

to jointly research and assess a novel borehole solution for monitoring CO2 in 

underground storage sites. The collaboration is focused on delivering a new, 

continuous, long-term underground monitoring solution that will reduce the 

risks associated with potential CO2 release and enhance the safety of CO2

storage projects. From Carbon Capture Journal. June 2021.

Champagne-Inspired Technology Captures, Stores CO2.

Scientists from the University of Exeter developed a CO2 capture technology 

that mirrors the way CO2 bubbles can be captured from a fizzy drink. Their 

solution uses natural-based processes and renewable energy to remove 

carbon from seawater that can then be returned to capture more CO2. The 

technology makes the seawater temporarily more acidic, allowing the CO2 to 

“bubble out.” While the CO2 is stored, the carbon-depleted water is released 

back to the ocean. Initial plans are for the research team to design a pilot plant 

capable of capturing at least 100 metric tons of CO2 a year. The project was 

awarded a grant from the Net-Zero Innovation Portfolio, which is run by the UK 

Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy. From Energy Live 

News. May 2021.

AUGUST 2021

Study to Investigate Reduced BECCS Costs.

A study by Phoenix BioPower and Drax will investigate how turbine technology 

could reduce the costs of BECCS plants. The feasibility study will look at how 

energy-efficient gas turbines could make new-build BECCS projects more 

cost-effective by generating 50% more power with the same amount of fuel. 

Results from Phoenix’s test facilities in Sweden and Germany will inform the 

study. From Carbon Capture Journal. June 2021. 

Researchers Study Barriers to CCUS.

Researchers from the University of Wyoming and the University of Texas–Austin 

will study the economic and political barriers related to CCUS technology. The 

study will explore questions about CCUS costs, barriers to investment and 

implementation, and tradeoffs relative to other climate mitigation approaches 

and policies. The study includes a look at CO2 sources and users, geologic 

storage sites, and pipelines and other CCUS infrastructure. From Carbon 

Capture Journal. June 2021. 

Scientists Freeze CO2 for Storage.

Scientists are testing a method to reduce emissions by freezing CO2 combusted 

from energy production and storing the solid form underground or using it for 

beneficial use. A team of scientists at King Abdullah University of Science and 

Technology (Saudi Arabia) is testing a technology developed by Sustainable 

Energy Solutions (based in Utah) that can capture approximately 1 ton of CO2

per day; within two years, the scientists hope to capture up to 25 tons per day. 

If the project is successful, it could lead to the creation of a unit capable of 

storing approximately 1,000 tons of CO2 per day. From Bloomberg. June 2021.

Study Shows Potential of Storing CO2 in Old Oil Fields.

In a case study of the Delaware Basin (USA), Stanford University geophysicists 

found that the influence of past oil drilling changes stresses on faults that 

make the injection of fluids less likely to induce earthquakes. According to 

the researchers, targeting these sites of past oil production, with their lower 

earthquake risk, could be a good approach for carbon storage. From Science 

Daily. June 2021.

SEPTEMBER 2021

Amine Technology Capable of 99% CO2 Capture.

Scientists from Imperial College London’s Department of Chemical Engineering 

and the Centre for Environmental Policy found that post-combustion capture 

of CO2 using amine absorption—a liquid-based CCS technology—can capture 

up to 99% of CO2 from emission sources. Using computational models to 

demonstrate that amine-based CCS could cost-effectively capture high 

levels of CO2 across a wide range of applications in power and industry, the 

researchers highlighted the areas with the highest potential for cost reduction. 

The study was published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. 

From Carbon Capture Journal. August 2021.

Study Explores Feasibility of Blue Hydrogen and CCS.

A new study will explore the feasibility of blue hydrogen and CCS in Australia. 

The feasibility study, to be conducted by Pilot Energy, is designed to assess 

blue hydrogen and CCS projects that can integrate with existing assets and 

infrastructure to deliver clean energy. The objective of the study is to assess the 

CCUS potential of the Cliff Head oil project and additional reservoirs across the 

broader Perth Basin. The projects identified will form the basis for future FEED 

studies, and may include a CO2 pipeline and injection facility, blue hydrogen 

plants, and CCS sites. From H2 View. August 2021.
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 PUBLICATIONS

PUBLICATIONS

OCTOBER 2020

Review of Federal, State, and Regional Tax Strategies and 

Opportunities for CO2-EOR-Storage and the CCUS Value Chain.

The following is from the Introduction of this document: “In 2018, the United 

States emitted 6.7 billion metric tons of GHG emissions. Almost half of these 

emissions (49 percent) came from the power and industrial sectors... GHG 

emissions in the power sector have decreased by 28 percent since 2005 due 

to fuel mix changes and the penetration of renewables. GHG reductions in other 

sectors, however, have remained stagnant. CCUS presents an opportunity to 

lessen the tension between meeting the nation’s energy needs and reducing 

its greenhouse gas emissions. It can help reduce GHG emissions not only in 

the power sector but also in the industrial sector through direct capture and 

utilization and in the transportation sector at ethanol facilities and through 

EOR, for example. CCUS is a demonstrated, commercially proven technology 

path for making deep GHG reductions. In North America, the most recent 

CCUS examples in the power sector include the 110-MW coal-fired retrofit of 

Boundary Dam Unit 3 in Saskatchewan, Canada, and the 240 MW retrofit of 

W.A. Parish Unit 8 in Texas (‘Petra Nova’) that is used for enhanced oil recovery. 

Both the Boundary Dam and Petra Nova projects are post-combustion capture 

projects where CO2 is removed after combustion in the boiler stack. Precombustion capture through hydrogen production (e.g., coal gasification) and 

oxyfuel combustion where a fossil fuel is combusted with pure oxygen are other 

forms of carbon capture for power generation. In the industrial sector, where 

CO2 can often be captured within existing processes, recent CCUS examples 

include the Air Products Steam Methane Reformer CO2 capture project in Texas 

and the ADM Illinois Industrial CCS project. To help describe and, in some ways, 

enable the deployment of CCUS, DOE and USEA engaged FTI and Orrick to 

provide a guide to the current federal, state, and regional tax strategies and 

opportunities for CO2 for EOR and storage. This report identifies federal and 

state incentives and regulatory regimes that are applicable to CCUS in the 

United States. It then illustrates several deal structures for application of these 

incentives. In addition, the report describes the various stakeholders that are 

critical for CCUS deployment, the roadblocks stakeholders face, and potential 

solutions that would increase the likelihood of the successful progress of CCUS 

programs as well as [Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Environmental, 

Societal Governance (ESG)] implications. The goal of this report is to provide 

interested parties with an overview of the current landscape, the problems 

that current stakeholders face, and a preview into the developments that are 

expected in the coming years.”

Carbon Pricing as a Policy Instrument to Decarbonize Economies.

The following is from the Summary of Findings of this Earth Institute’s 

Research Program on Sustainability Policy and Management document: “This 

study analyzes the jurisdictional characteristics of economies where carbon 

pricing mechanisms (both carbon taxes and cap-and-trade schemes) have 

been implemented or proposed as a means to support decarbonization. 

Firstly, [the authors] compare certain average economic and emission-related 

characteristics of 37 countries, which have implemented or are considering 

implementing carbon pricing with the global average to derive a set of stylistic 

facts that appear to be correlated with the adoption of carbon pricing. [The 

authors] differentiate between carbon tax (CT) and emissions-trading (ETS) 

jurisdictions where possible. Secondly, [the authors] review the historical 

experience of 11 national and 2 sub-national jurisdictions, which either 

implemented carbon pricing or attempted to do so in vain. Finally, [the authors] 

perform an in-depth review of two case study countries (Chile and Colombia) 

which are in the process of implementing carbon pricing policies, to identify 

the key drivers of adoption as well as any barriers that may impact successful 

policy implementation or effectiveness. Throughout [the authors’] analyses, 

[the authors] review ETS and carbon tax impacts on five policy choice criteria: 

(1) effectiveness in delivering environmental outcomes; (2) regulatory stability; 

(3) costs and distributional effects; (4) the coherence and interaction with other 

environmental and tax policies; and (5) an evaluation of the impact of global 

trade.”

Community compensation in the context of Carbon Capture and 

Storage: Current debates and practices.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Societal opposition has the 

potential to slow down the implementation of Carbon Capture and Storage 

(CCS). One of the difficulties is that the perceived benefits associated with a 

CCS facility for local communities tend to be low compared to its perceived 

burdens. As is the case for other low carbon technologies, community 

compensation (or community benefits) has been suggested as a way to 

restore this perceived imbalance. A diverse literature has looked into the role 

of community compensation across various land uses and research fields. 

Synthesis is limited, while at the same time, the provision of community 

compensation in practice is moving from an ad hoc to a more institutionalized 

approach. Therefore, it is important to take stock of the literature. This paper 

provides a review of the community compensation literature in the form of 

four debates, drawing together environmental social science research on 

different low carbon technologies (e.g. CCS, renewable energy). In addition, 

current practices in community compensation for four European countries are 

discussed. The two parts of this paper are brought together in a set of lessons 

for the provision of community compensation for future CCS projects; in turn, 

suggestions for further research are made to address remaining knowledge 

gaps.” Christine Boomsma, Emma ter Mors, Corin Jack, Kevin Broecks, 

Corina Buzoianu, Diana M. Cismaru, Ruben Peuchen, Pim Piek, Diana 

Schumann, Simon Shackley, and Jasmin Werker, International Journal of 

Greenhouse Gas Control. (Subscription may be required.)

Optimization of CCUS supply chains in the UK: A strategic role for 

emissions reduction.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “The UK is the second largest 

emitter of carbon dioxide in Europe. It aims to take urgent actions to achieve 

the 2030 target for CO2 emissions reduction imposed by EU environmental 

policies. Three different carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) supply 

chains are developed giving economic indicators for CO2 utilization routes not 

implying carbon dioxide hydrogenation (i.e. with high TRL). The study presents 

an innovative proposal to reduce CO2 impact in the UK, a country rich in coal, 

which requires reduction of carbon dioxide emissions from flue gases as the 

easiest and best performing solution. Bunter Sandstone, Scottish offshore and 

Ormskirk Sandstone are the storage sites considered, while several attractive 

potential utilization options are considered. Through minimization of total costs, 

the CCUS supply chain with Bunter Sandstone as storage site results in the 

most economically profitable solution due to the highest value of net present 

value (€ 0.554 trillion) and lowest value of pay back period (2.85 years). Only 

carbon tax is considered. The total cost is € 1.04 billion/year. Across the 

supply chain, 6.4 Mton/year of carbon dioxide emissions are avoided, to be 

either stored or used for calcium carbonate production. Future work should 

consider uncertainty, dynamics of market demand and social aspects.” Grazia 

Leonzio, David Bogle, Pier Ugo Foscolo, and Edwin Zondervan, Chemical 

Engineering Research and Design. (Subscription may be required.)

CO2 sequestration on cement.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “The manufacturing of cement 

is associated with large amount of CO2 emissions. Carbon capture and storage 

(CCS) or carbon sequestration is identified as one of the solutions to mitigate 

high level of CO2....Mineral carbonation of metal oxides present in cement 

can allow sequestering of CO2 in cement in the form of stable silica gel and 

carbonates. Sequestration of CO2 in cement and cement-based products such 

as mortar, paste, and concrete is accomplished by accelerated carbonation 

curing (ACC). This chapter discusses in detail possibility of CO2 sequestration 

by cement-based materials through accelerated carbonation curing. Reaction 

mechanisms, laboratory processes, and resulting performance of carbonation 

curing have been comprehensively discussed and reviewed based on available 

literature. The chapter also discusses challenges faced by ACC for industrial 

implementation and future scope of research on carbonation curing.” Shweta 

Goyal and Devender Sharma, Start-Up Creation. (Subscription may be 

required.)
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 PUBLICATIONS

Relationship between oil production and CO2 storage during lowsalinity carbonate water injection in acid carbonate reservoirs.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “This study investigates 

enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and CO2 storage efficiencies during low-salinity 

carbonate waterflooding (LSCWF) in carbonate reservoirs containing ‘acid’ 

formation water. In order to identify the detailed geochemical reactions for 

acidic condition during LSCWF, simulational analysis was performed with 

‘CMG-GEM’. After core-scaled model was constructed through historymatching processes based on the coreflooding experimental results, primary 

mechanisms during LSCWF were analyzed for various levels of injection water 

salinity. From the results of this study, CO2 dissolved in injected carbonate 

water yielded CaCO3 precipitation in acidic reservoirs, decreasing permeability 

significantly compared to in neutral reservoirs. In terms of wettability alteration 

and oil swelling by CO2 mass transfer, their effects were almost similar 

regardless of the salinity for both acid and neutral reservoirs. In the aspects of 

EOR and CO2 storage efficiencies, they strongly depend on the salinity for both 

acidic and neutral conditions. In the results of EOR–CO2 storage relationship, 

enhanced oil was smaller in acidic condition, while CO2 storage efficiency was 

not greatly related to acidity of the reservoir. The findings of this study can help 

for better understanding of smart water injection design into acid carbonate 

reservoir for the optimal EOR and CO2 storage efficiencies.” Yeonkyeong Lee, 

Sooyeon Kim, Jihoon Wang, and Wonmo Sung, Journal of Industrial and 

Engineering Chemistry. (Subscription may be required.)

Application of ITM to improve the efficiency of SOFC/GTCC triple 

combined cycle with carbon capture.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Carbon capture and storage 

processes are being researched to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from 

power plants. This paper proposes a new system that applies an ion transport 

membrane (ITM) to a triple combined cycle, which includes the gas turbine 

combined cycle and a solid oxide fuel cell. Two systems which differ in the 

method of utilization of the fluid that is separated by the ion transport membrane 

were compared. Then, the better system was determined, and its performance 

characteristics were analyzed in detail. The operating temperature of the fuel 

cell and the pressure ratio of the compressor were varied within the operating 

conditions of the ITM as the main design variables. The performance of the 

proposed system was compared with that of a post-combustion system and 

other oxy-fuel combustion capture systems. The proposed system had 1.70% 

and 4.0%p higher power and efficiency than the post-combustion capture 

system, respectively. Furthermore, the purity of the carbon dioxide captured 

from the proposed system was 97.4%, which is 9.1%p higher than that of the 

semi-closed cycle oxy-fuel combustion system, while the efficiency was 7.8%p 

higher.” Ji Hun Jeong, Ji Ho Ahn, and Tong Seop Kim, Energy. (Subscription 

may be required.)

An empirical investigation between CO2 emission, energy 

consumption, trade liberalization and economic growth: A case of 

Kuwait.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “The purpose of the present 

study is to investigate the link among CO2 emissions, energy consumption, 

gross domestic product, and trade liberalization as related to Kuwait. The study 

used annual data, starting from 1971 to 2017, which was obtained from a 

world development indicator of the World Bank. For the empirical analysis, the 

study adopted Augmented Dicky Fuller and Phillips-Perron methods to review 

stationarity among the data sets. Their results explained a mixed trend, some 

variables followed the I (1) process, and few are I (0). Based on the findings, 

a well-defined Autoregressive Distributed Lag Model was applied to the data 

sets and the outcome was in support of the long and short-run relationship 

between variables. Carbon dioxide and energy consumption accelerate 

economic growth; an increase in CO2 emission also plays a significant role in 

increasing energy consumption. Furthermore, the Granger Causality test shows 

evidence of bi-directional causality existing between CO2 emissions and energy 

consumption. A unidirectional causality is running from the gross domestic 

product to CO2 emissions and energy consumption to trade liberalization.” 

Syed Khurram Arslan Wasti and Shumaila Waqar Zaidi, Journal of Building 

Engineering. (Subscription may be required.)

Optimization of well placement and operating conditions for various 

well patterns in CO2 sequestration in the Pohang Basin, Korea.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “The aquifer consists of multilayers and has pre-existing faults and heterogeneous reservoir properties that 

restrict CO2 injection to a certain amount. To store large amounts of CO2 and 

maintain storage security, it is important to define the optimal injection well 

pattern, placement, and operating conditions. This study applied various well 

patterns and optimized their locations and fluid injection rates with monitoring 

the pressure build-up in the aquifer to improve the storage capacity. Four well 

patterns in this study were employed: (1) a single vertical injection well (SVI), (2) 

two vertical injection wells (TVI), (3) a single horizontal injection well (SHI), and 

(4) two vertical wells for brine extraction and CO2 injection (TVEI). The results 

showed TVEI at the optimal location and fluid rate that allowed an almost eight 

times larger volume of CO2 to be stored compared to the base case (simulation 

result of SVI drilled for the CO2 storage pilot project in the Pohang basin, Korea), 

and maintained the pressure within the boundary for security. When using a 

single well (SVI and SHI), SVI injected 126 kton of CO2, which is larger than 

that of SHI, but storage security of SHI is better than that of SVI due to the 

difference in CO2 migration. Through this research, the effects of various well 

patterns in CO2 geological storage in the Pohang Basin can be forecasted and 

the optimal well pattern and conditions for the largest storage capacity can be 

determined.” Changhyeok Jun, Min Kim, and Hyundon Shin, International 

Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control. (Subscription may be required.)

New soil carbon sequestration with nitrogen enrichment: 

a meta-analysis.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Through agriculture and 

industry, humans are increasing the deposition and availability of nitrogen (N) 

in ecosystems worldwide. Carbon (C) isotope tracers provide useful insights 

into soil C dynamics, as they allow to study soil C pools of different ages. [The 

authors] evaluated to what extent N enrichment affects soil C dynamics in 

experiments that applied C isotope tracers. Using meta-analysis, [the authors] 

synthesized data from 35 published papers. [The authors] made a distinction 

between ‘new C’ and ‘old’ stocks, i.e., soil C derived from plant C input since 

the start of the isotopic enrichment, or unlabeled, pre-existing soil C. Averaged 

across studies, N addition increased new soil C stocks (+30.3%), total soil 

C stocks (+6.1%) and soil C input proxies (+30.7%). Although N addition 

had no overall, average, effect on old soil C stocks and old soil C respiration, 

old soil C stocks increased with the amount of N added and respiration of 

old soil C declined. Nitrogen-induced effects on new soil C and soil C input 

both decreased with the amount of extraneous N added in control treatments. 

Although [the authors’] findings require additional confirmation from long-term 

field experiments, [the authors’] analysis provides isotopic evidence that N 

addition stimulates soil C storage both by increasing soil C input and (at high 

N rates) by decreasing decomposition of old soil C. Furthermore, [the authors] 

demonstrate that the widely reported saturating response of plant growth to N 

enrichment also applies to new soil C storage.” Xiaomin Huang, César Terrer, 

Feike A. Dijkstra, Bruce A. Hungate, Weijian Zhang, and Kees Jan van 

Groenigen, Plant and Soil. (Subscription may be required.)

The role of soil carbon in natural climate solutions.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Here [the authors] quantify 

the role of soil carbon in natural (land-based) climate solutions and review 

some of the project design mechanisms available to tap into the potential. 

[The authors] show that soil carbon represents 25% of the potential of natural 

climate solutions (total potential, 23.8Gt of CO2-equivalent per year), of which 

40% is protection of existing soil carbon and 60% is rebuilding depleted 

stocks. Soil carbon comprises 9% of the mitigation potential of forests, 72% 

for wetlands and 47% for agriculture and grasslands. Soil carbon is important 

to land-based efforts to prevent carbon emissions, remove atmospheric carbon 

dioxide and deliver ecosystem services in addition to climate mitigation.” D. A. 

Bossio, S. C. Cook-Patton, P. W. Ellis, J. Fargione, J. Sanderman, P. Smith, 

S. Wood, R. J. Zomer, M. von Unger, I. M. Emmer, and B. W. Griscom,

Nature Sustainability. (Subscription may be required.)
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

23

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 PUBLICATIONS

NOVEMBER 2020

Net-Zero and Geospheric Return: Actions Today for 2030 and 

Beyond.

The following is from the Executive Summary of this Global CCS Institute 

document: “The case for rapid and profound decarbonization has never been 

more obvious or more urgent, and immediate action must match growing 

global ambition and need. An important new component of this discussion is 

the necessity of achieving net-zero global greenhouse gas emissions for any 

climate stabilization target. Until net-zero emissions are achieved, greenhouse 

gas will accumulate in the atmosphere and oceans, and concentrations will 

grow, even with deep and profound emissions reduction, mitigation, and 

adaptation measures. This places a severe constraint on human enterprise: 

any carbon removed from the earth must be returned to the earth. To manage 

this aspect of the global carbon budget, carbon capture and storage (CCS) 

must play a central role. In particular, CCS will be important in two major 

roles: [1] To manage emissions from existing, long-lived capital stock. This 

is especially true for rapid emissions reduction from three kinds of facilities: 

heavy industrial sector (i.e., cement, steel, and chemicals); production of near–

zero-C hydrogen in abundance; and recently built power plants, in particular 

coal and gas facilities in Asia. [2] To enable large-scale rapid carbon dioxide 

(CO2) removal through engineered systems. This will include approaches like 

direct-air capture with storage (DACS), bioenergy with CCS (BECCS), and 

carbon mineralization.”

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Market Sales Outlook.

The following is a description of this report: “The Carbon Capture and Storage 

(CCS) report provides an independent information about the Carbon Capture 

and Storage (CCS) industry supported by extensive research on factors such 

as industry segments size & trends, inhibitors, dynamics, drivers, opportunities 

& challenges, environment & policy, cost overview, porter’s five force analysis, 

and key companies. In this report, [the authors offer] a thorough investigation 

of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Market, SWOT examination of the 

most prominent players right now. Alongside an industrial chain, market 

measurements regarding revenue, sales, value, capacity, regional market 

examination, section insightful information, and market forecast are offered in 

the full investigation, and so forth.” 

Start-up and Shut-down times of power CCUS facilities.

The following is from the Executive Summary of this UK Department for 

Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy document: “The Department for 

Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has commissioned AECOM 

to investigate potential improvements to the start-up and shut-down times 

of gas-fired power Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (power CCUS) 

facilities. This report summarises the outputs of the study, including process 

modelling to demonstrate the performance of a range of configuration variants 

and inputs to the BEIS Dynamic Dispatch Model. A reference or ‘standard’ 

configuration case was identified to achieve 95% capture of normal carbon 

dioxide emissions from a modern H-Class Combined Cycle Gas Turbine power 

plant. The standard configuration was developed from open literature, project 

history and AECOM experience of carbon capture processes and is recorded in 

the Basis of Design, which is appended to this report. Results of the literature 

review are also provided in an appendix to this report.”

Experimental study on the fracture behavior of sandstone after 

ScCO2–water–rock interaction.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Geological sequestration of 

carbon dioxide is one way of offsetting carbon emissions. During geological CO2

sequestration, any effects that CO2 may have on the physical and mechanical 

properties of the caprock can potentially affect the stability of its storage. 

This paper investigates the fracturing behavior of sandstone immersed in 

water dissoluted with supercritical carbon dioxide (ScCO2). For this purpose, 

the fracture toughness of sandstone was tested after different durations of 

immersion in water with ScCO2 (10 days, 20 days and 30 days). Furthermore, 

the surface and fracture characteristics of the sandstone were evaluated 

with X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and scanning electron 

microscopy (SEM). The results show that: (1) The mode I fracture toughness 

(KIC) of sandstone reduced by up to 23.91%, 20.43%, and 31.92% after 

immersion in water with ScCO2 for 10 days, 20 days and 30 days, respectively, 

indicating clear temporal heterogeneity in the damage caused to sandstone 

by ScCO2 and water. (2) Similar variation occurs in the maximum deviation 

distance of sandstone failure cracks with an increase in saturation time as in 

fracture toughness (KIC); that is, the maximum deviation distance increases 

in parallel with fracture toughness. (3) ScCO2–water–rock interactions 

change the mineral composition of sandstone. As a result, many pores and 

cracks appear in the sandstone, especially after 30-day saturation, seriously 

damaging its structure; this is the direct cause of the decrease in the ability of 

the sandstone to resist fracture. The results of this study provide a significant 

theoretical reference for evaluating the long-term stability of geological CO2

sequestration under caprock.” Ze-dong Sun, Xuan-min Song, Gan Feng, 

Yu-ming Huo, Shao-qi Kong, and De-fu Zhu, Journal of Natural Gas Science 

and Engineering. (Subscription may be required.)

Modeling CO2 wettability behavior at the interface of brine/CO2/

mineral: Application to CO2 geo-sequestration.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Carbon capture and 

storage (CCS) has been introduced as an effective method for reduction of 

CO2 emissions to the atmosphere. While different aspects and controlling 

parameters of geological CO2 sequestration process are well understood, there 

is still large uncertainty regarding brine/CO2/rock wettability and no model 

has yet been presented for characterizing the contact angle of brine/CO2/rock 

system at different environmental conditions. In this study, various intelligent 

models have been developed for accurate estimation of brine/CO2/rock contact 

angles. Results demonstrated that the proposed models have the ability to 

accurately simulate the brine/CO2 wettability behavior for quartz, calcite, 

feldspar, and mica minerals at different pressures, temperatures and salinities. 

Additionally, results revealed that adaptive neuro-fuzzy interference system 

has the best performance compared with the other models and its superiority 

is shown through statistical and graphical analyses. Afterward, the most 

effective input parameters on brine/CO2/rock wettability were investigated by 

employing Monte-Carlo algorithm, which showed that mineral type, salinity and 

pressure are the most sensitive variables for this process. As wettability can 

highly affect the residual and structural trapping mechanisms during carbon 

geo-sequestration, presenting reliable models for estimating brine/CO2/rock 

wettability is crucial. Therefore, the outcomes of this study can be useful 

for accurate estimation of these mechanisms capacity.” Amin Daryasafar, 

Amin Keykhosravi, and Khalil Shahbazi, Journal of Cleaner Production. 

(Subscription may be required.)

Can carbon emission trading scheme achieve energy conservation 

and emission reduction? Evidence from the industrial sector in 

China.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Whether the emission trading 

scheme (ETS) can achieve energy conservation and emission reduction in 

developing countries is crucial for these countries to achieve sustainable 

economic and environmental development. This study investigates the energy 

conservation and emission reduction effects of China’s carbon dioxide (CO2) 

ETS pilot policy implemented in 2011. Based on panel data of the twodigit industry at province level from 2005 to 2015, [the authors] adopt the 

difference-in-differences (DID) model to examine the effects of the CO2 ETS on 

energy conservation and emission reduction. The results show that the CO2 ETS 

decreases the energy consumption of the regulated industries in pilot areas by 

22.8% and the CO2 emissions by 15.5% compared to those in nonpilot areas. 

Further analysis indicates that the policy effects are mainly driven by improving 

technical efficiency and adjusting industrial structure. In addition, [the authors] 

find that the CO2 ETS performs better in areas with high levels of environmental 

enforcement and marketization. Overall, [the authors’] findings suggest that 

the CO2 ETS has achieved energy conservation and emission reduction effects 

in developing countries.” Yucai Hu, Shenggang Ren, Yangjie Wang, and 

Xiaohong Chen, Energy Economics. (Subscription may be required.)
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

24

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 PUBLICATIONS

A near-term to net zero alternative to the social cost of carbon 

for setting carbon prices.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “The social cost of carbon (SCC) 

is commonly described and used as the optimal CO2 price. However, the wide 

range of SCC estimates provides limited practical assistance to policymakers 

setting specific CO2 prices. Here [the authors] describe an alternate near-term 

to net zero (NT2NZ) approach, estimating CO2 prices needed in the near term for 

consistency with a net-zero CO2 emissions target. This approach dovetails with 

the emissions-target-focused approach that frames climate policy discussions 

around the world, avoids uncertainties in estimates of climate damages and 

long-term decarbonization costs, offers transparency about sensitivities and 

enables the consideration of CO2 prices alongside a portfolio of policies. [The 

authors] estimate illustrative NT2NZ CO2 prices for the United States; for a 

2050 net-zero CO2 emission target, prices are US$34 to US$64 per metric ton 

in 2025 and US$77 to US$124 in 2030. These results are most influenced by 

assumptions about complementary policies and oil prices.” Noah Kaufman, 

Alexander R. Barron, Wojciech Krawczyk, Peter Marsters, and Haewon 

McJeon, Nature Climate Change. (Subscription may be required.)

A meta-analysis of global cropland soil carbon changes due 

to cover cropping.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Including cover crops within 

agricultural rotations may increase soil organic carbon (SOC). However, 

contradictory findings generated by on-site experiments make it necessary 

to perform a comprehensive assessment of interactions between cover 

crops, environmental and management factors, and changes in SOC. In this 

study, [the authors] collected data from studies that compared agricultural 

production with and without cover crops, and then analyzed those data using 

meta-analysis and regression. [The authors’] results showed that including 

cover crops into rotations significantly increased SOC, with an overall mean 

change of 15.5% (95% confidence interval of 13.8%–17.3%). Whereas 

medium-textured soils had highest SOC stocks (overall means of 39 Mg ha−1 

with and 37 Mg ha−1 without cover crops), fine-textured soils showed the 

greatest increase in SOC after the inclusion of cover crops (mean change of 

39.5%). Coarse-textured (11.4%) and medium-textured soils (10.3%) had 

comparatively smaller changes in SOC, while soils in temperate climates had 

greater changes (18.7%) than those in tropical climates (7.2%). Cover crop 

mixtures resulted in greater increases in SOC compared to mono-species cover 

crops, and using legumes caused greater SOC increases than grass species. 

Cover crop biomass positively affected SOC changes while carbon:nitrogen 

ratio of cover crop biomass was negatively correlated with SOC changes. Cover 

cropping was associated with significant SOC increases in shallow soils (≤30 

cm), but not in subsurface soils (>30 cm). The regression analysis revealed 

that SOC changes from cover cropping correlated with improvements in soil 

quality, specifically decreased runoff and erosion and increased mineralizable 

carbon, mineralizable nitrogen, and soil nitrogen. Soil carbon change was also 

affected by annual temperature, number of years after start of cover crop 

usage, latitude, and initial SOC concentrations. Finally, the mean rate of carbon 

sequestration from cover cropping across all studies was 0.56 Mg ha−1 yr−1. 

If 15% of current global cropland were to adopt cover crops, this value would 

translate to 0.16 ± 0.06 Pg of carbon sequestered per year, which is ~1–2% 

of current fossil fuels emissions. Altogether, these results indicated that the 

inclusion of cover crops into agricultural rotations can enhance soil carbon 

concentrations, improve many soil quality parameters, and serve as a potential 

sink for atmosphere CO2.” Jinshi Jian, Xuan Du, Mark S. Reiter, and Ryan 

D. Stewart, Soil Biology and Biochemistry. (Subscription may be required.)

Efficient sequestration of terrigenous organic carbon 

in the New Britain Trench.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “The fate of terrigenous 

organic carbon (OCterr) in the ocean remains an enigma for four decades. Hadal 

trenches, the deepest ocean realm (6–11 km deep), were recently proposed 

to be OC depocenters, but whether and how much OCterr was sequestrated 

there remain elusive. Here [the authors] conducted comprehensive analyses 

for four sediment cores from the New Britain Trench (NBT) close to Papua 

New Guinea to assess source, translocation and burial of OC. The bulk and 

molecular radiocarbon data suggest that the NBT landward slope and axis 

sediments mainly receive young and biogenic rather than petrogenic OC. 

The three-endmember mixing model based on Δ14C, δ13C and OC contents 

reveals that sediments of the NBT axis (8225 m) comprise relatively high OC 

contents (0.66 ± 0.08%), of which biogenic OCterr accounts for 62 ± 10%. The 

high proportion of biogenic OCterr was attributed to the selective translocation 

of OCterr-enriched coarse particles and rapid delivery of sediments supported 

by unique V-shape feature of the trench. In contrast, the sediment OC at the 

oceanward slope is primarily of a marine origin, suggesting that OCterr was 

efficiently trapped in the trench bottom. It is estimated that the burial rate is 

2.75 ± 0.32 g C m−2 yr−1 for OC and 1.69 ± 0.41 g C m−2 yr−1 for OCterr

in the NBT. Given a fact that many trenches are close to the landmasses, [the 

authors] propose that the hadal trenches may contribute significantly to the 

burial of OCterr in the ocean.” Wenjie Xiao, Yunping Xu, Negar Haghipour, 

Daniel B. Montluçon, Binbin Pan, Zehua Jia, Huangmin Ge, Peng Yao, and 

Timothy I. Eglinton, Chemical Geology. (Subscription may be required.)

Effects of soil texture and nitrogen on ability of carbon 

sequestration in different organs of two Tamarix species as a good 

choice for carbon stock in dry lands.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “The present study was 

conducted to examine how different organs of plants (leaf, stem and root) 

of Tamarix aphylla and Tamarix kotschyi could affect carbon sequestration in 

soil depths ranging from 0 to 15 cm and 15 to 30 cm. This study was carried 

out in the Ahoochar region, 25 km north of Shiraz, during 2015–2017. This 

study was carried out in two separate factorial experiment arranged in a 

randomized complete design. The first factor was the type of plant species 

in both experiments. The second factor was the plant organs in experiment 

I and different soil depths in experiment II. The results showed that there 

was a higher degree of carbon sequestration in depths that ranged from 

0–15 cm, compared to soil at 15–30 cm depth. The results of correlation 

coefficients showed that the percentage of clay was the strongest parameter 

that contributed to carbon sequestration. Furthermore, Tamarix aphylla and 

T. kotschyi showed similar amounts of organic carbon stored in their tissues. 

Stems had higher amounts of stored organic carbon compared to the leaves. 

In general, it was observed that carbon sequestration reached its highest level 

(54.15 t/ha) in soil with T. kotschyi at 0–15 cm depth. The stem of both plants 

had a higher ability for carbon sequestration.” Mahbobeh Iranmanesh and 

Hossein Sadeghi, Ecological Engineering. (Subscription may be required.)

Tree layer carbon stock quantification in a temperate food forest: 

A peri-urban polyculture case study.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Food forests offer a number 

of potential benefits and one of those is the ability to sequester carbon 

and increase terrestrial carbon stocks on urban, peri-urban and rural land. 

There is little research on the carbon storage capabilities within agroforestry 

systems let alone food forests and it is considered an underexploited option 

for carbon storage. This case study quantified the carbon stored within the 

above and below ground components of all tree layer woody biomass above 

2 m in height and greater than 2 cm diameter at breast height (DBH) in the 

Agroforestry Research Trust’s peri-urban food forest in Devon, UK. The study 

formed a population census, which measured all 528 trees across 68 species 

within the 0.64 ha food forest. Twenty-three allometric equations were used 

to estimate above ground biomass (AGB) while the below ground biomass 

(BGB) was calculated using a root to shoot ratio of 0.18:1. The stored carbon 

content was calculated as 50% of the total biomass. The temperate food forest 

case study site was estimated to store 39.53 ± 4.05 Mg C ha−1 in above 

and below ground living biomass. This result highlights the potential for a food 

forest stand to store a considerable amount of carbon that is at least within a 

similar range to other literature sourced urban and peri urban land uses. Thus, 

a purposely selected food forest assemblage whose primary focus is food 

production can also be a valuable carbon sink The results offer a promising 

initial study into the carbon storage potential within a food forest, which is only 

made more valuable given the other prospective benefits of food forests.” Luke 

J. Schafer, Marin Lysák, Christian B. Henriksen, Urban Forestry & Urban 

Greening. (Subscription may be required.)
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

25

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 PUBLICATIONS

DECEMBER 2020

Using Geophysical Technologies Deployed in Inexpensive Monitoring 

Wells to Monitor the Evolution of a CO2 Plume: Potential Benefits 

and R&D Needs.

The following is from the Executive Summary of this DOE/NETL document: 

“Capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) from coal-fired power plants, natural gasfired power plants and industrial CO2 sources, and storing this captured CO2

in deep saline formations is one method for reducing the emissions of CO2 to 

the atmosphere. Often referred to as carbon capture, utilization and storage 

(CCUS), large quantities of CO2 can be stored using two processes. The first 

process, known as saline storage of CO2, involves injecting CO2 into deep saline 

formations. The second process is CO2 enhanced oil recovery (EOR). This study 

focuses on saline storage of CO2. This technology is regulated by the United 

States (U.S.) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and each CO2 injection 

well needs a Class VI permit to comply with the Underground Injection Control 

Program. As part of the Class VI permit, the operator of a CO2 injection well 

must prepare and execute a Testing and Monitoring Plan and this plan must 

include monitoring the evolution of the injected CO2 plume over time...This 

study was completed by the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) 

which is part of Fossil Energy (FE) within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). 

This study compares the costs of 4-D seismic surveys and [vertical seismic 

profiling (VSP) using distributing acoustic sensing (DAS) with surface orbital 

vibrators (SOVs)]. An example CO2 storage project was developed for the cost 

analysis. The example project involves the injection and storage of 4.33 million 

metric tons of CO2 per year for 30 operating years and 50 years of postinjection site care (PISC). The example project is assumed to inject CO2 into the 

Mount Simon formation in Illinois which is a good formation for storing CO2. A 

six injection well pattern was devised, and the area that is needed to monitor 

the evolution of the CO2 plume was calculated using the FE/NETL CO2 Saline 

Storage Cost Model.” 

Energy Technology Perspective 2020.

The following is a description of this International Energy Agency (IEA) 

publication: “Energy Technology Perspectives 2020 is a major new IEA 

publication focused on the technology needs and opportunities for reaching 

international climate and sustainable energy goals. This flagship report offers 

vital analysis and advice on the clean energy technologies the world needs 

to meet net-zero emissions objectives. The report’s comprehensive analysis 

maps out the technologies needed to tackle emissions in all parts of the energy 

sector, including areas where technology progress is still lacking such as longdistance transport and heavy industries. It shows the amount of emissions 

reductions that are required from electrification, hydrogen, bioenergy and 

carbon capture, utilisation and storage. It also provides an assessment of 

emissions from existing infrastructure and what can be done to address them.” 

(Subscription may be required.)

Probabilistic risk-based Area of Review (AoR) determination for a 

deep-saline carbon storage site.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Regulatory oversight of a 

geologic carbon sequestration (GCS) project relies on iterative estimations, 

throughout the project lifetime, of the area where increased risks to underground 

sources of drinking water (USDWs) may occur due to injection of CO2. This 

area, referred to as Area of Review (AoR), is typically delineated by predicting 

the migration of fluid between the reservoir and the lowermost USDW via an 

open wellbore using predictions from physics-based reservoir simulators. The 

inherent uncertainty in input parameters used in reservoir modeling therefore 

affects the accuracy of determining the AoR for a project. Furthermore, the 

standard analytical approaches for calculating a critical pressure to delineate 

the risk area yield an infinite AoR for cases where the injection reservoir is 

overpressured relative to the USDW. A methodology is presented here to better 

characterize the risk to USDWs while accounting for the uncertainty in reservoir 

modeling, with an application to a permitted GCS project with an overpressured 

injection formation, FutureGen 2.0. The methodology is demonstrated using the 

National Risk Assessment Partnership’s open-source integrated assessment 

model (NRAP-Open-IAM) to develop a probabilistic estimate of impact risk 

to USDW quality. CO2 and pressure predictions from the reservoir modeling 

conducted using the STOMP-CO2 simulator for the FutureGen 2.0 site are used 

in a NRAP-Open-IAM model with reservoir, wellbore, and aquifer components 

to: (1) assess the extent of potential leakage into the USDW for the predicted 

reservoir pressure conditions; (2) evaluate the extent of potential impact using 

‘no-net-degradation’ thresholds; and (3) account for uncertainty in reservoir 

permeabilities.” Diana H. Bacon, Deniz I. Demirkanli, Singe K. White,

International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control. 

(Subscription may be required.)

Carbon dioxide management via exergy-based sustainability 

assessment: Carbon Capture and Storage versus conversion to 

methanol.

The following is the abstract of this article: “Carbon Capture and Storage 

and Carbon Capture and Utilization refer to carbon dioxide management 

technologies for its removal from flue-gases, followed by carbon recycling 

or storage, aiming at limiting global warming. For large-scale deployment, 

geological storage is the most promising alternative but imposes an economic 

penalty to the emitting process, while the utilization monetizes carbon 

dioxide contributing to compensate for the large capture costs. The exergy 

concept builds a suitable framework to measure useful power according to 

the Second Law of Thermodynamics, such that maximizing exergy efficiency 

necessarily promotes sustainability. This work applies a novel framework for 

exergy assessment of processes with chemical reactions, which is employed 

to evaluate the performance of two methanol production routes from carbon 

dioxide from power plant flue-gas: the direct hydrogenation and the indirect 

conversion through natural gas bi-reforming for synthesis gas production. 

Exergy efficiency of the direct route is about 66.3%, against 55.8% for the 

indirect one, indicating the lower sustainability of the latter. Carbon capture and 

storage had the worst Exergy efficiency, even lower than the emission scenario, 

accounting for 44.8% against 53.5%. Exergy metrics pinpoint low scalability 

as the main drawback of the utilization technologies, despite high exergy 

and capture efficiency.” Igor Lapenda Wiesberg, George Victor Brigagão, 

Ofélia de Queiroz F. Araújo, and José Luiz de Medeiros, Renewable and 

Sustainable Energy Reviews. (Subscription may be required.)

Comparative evaluation of two biomass direct-fired power plants 

with carbon capture and sequestration.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “The biomass direct-fired 

power plant with carbon capture and sequestration is promising to remove CO2

from air whilst generate electricity. However, the efficiencies of such power 

plants are usually low, and the life cycle CO2 emission of such power plants is 

seldom determined. To solve these issues, a novel chemical looping oxy-fired 

power plant with carbon capture and sequestration is proposed in this work. 

The proposed system is then modeled and compared with the conventional 

biomass air-fired plant in terms of thermodynamics and economics. All the 

sub-unit models of the two power plants are validated by reported data in 

literature. Sensitivity analyses are then implemented to investigate the effects 

of different key operation parameters on the system essential performance 

indicators. Under the optimum conditions, the power generation efficiency, the 

levelized cost of electricity, the CO2 capture rate, the annual power generation 

and the annual CO2 mitigation of the proposed system (or the conventional 

system) are 35.7% (31.5%), 0.0522$/kWh (0.0601$/kWh), 100% (98%), 

1443.7 × 109 kWh/year (1241.81 × 109 kWh/year) and 1.191 × 109 t/

year (1.159 × 109 t/year), respectively. The key findings of this work are of 

reference value for the construction, operation and optimization of the biomass 

direct-fired power plants with carbon capture and sequestration.” Linbo Yan, 

Ziqi Wang, Yang Cao, and Boshu He, Renewable Energy. (Subscription may 

be required.)

A first look at social factors driving CCS perception in Brazil: A case 

study in the Recôncavo Basin.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Carbon Capture and Storage 

(CCS) is a promising technology to help greenhouse gas emission mitigation. 

However, one of the greatest challenges for this technology implementation 

is the opposition from the population living near the potential sites. Despite 
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October 2020 – September 2021 PUBLICATIONS

the Brazilian geological potential for carbon dioxide injection, research 

investigating social site characterization or CCS public perception is almost 

non-existent in Brazil. Thus, this research aims to address this gap and analyze 

social factors driving CCS perception of the population living near potential 

sites in the Recôncavo Basin, state of Bahia, this being one of the first steps 

for social site characterization. Fifty-seven interviews were carried out near 

10 CCS potential injection fields, focusing on questions about climate change 

knowledge, people’s previous relationship with oil exploration, trust in public 

and private stakeholders, belief in citizens’ influence and CCS perception. The 

results showed that the previous history of the community with oil companies 

is an important factor influencing people’s perception of private companies 

in general and CCS projects in particular. Another relevant social factor is the 

sense of empowerment in some communities that may respond with riots and 

obstruction of the project if they feel harmed by the companies. The results 

also suggest that communication can be a relevant factor for CCS perception, 

correcting some wrong assumptions about the technology. It is important to 

educate people not only about CCS but also about climate change and other 

environmental issues and, ethically, address all aspects, positive and negative, 

of CCS implementation.” Anna Luisa Abreu Netto, George Câmara, Expedito 

Rocha, Aldo Luiz Silva, José Célio Silveira Andrade, Drielli Peyerl, and 

Paulo Rocha, International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control. (Subscription 

may be required.)

Parametric study and geomechanical design of Ultra-deep-water 

Offshore Salt Caverns for Carbon Capture and Storage in Brazil.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “This article describes a new 

concept to reduce carbon dioxide emissions of offshore oil production of high 

gas-to-oil ratio reservoirs and high content of CO2, denominated Offshore Salt 

Cavern Ultra-deep Water CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) System. This 

hybrid system is intended for natural gas storage, the gravitational separation 

between CO2/CH4, and CO2 confinement for final destination. This development 

emerged from a current demand of some Brazilian pre-salt reservoirs to 

destinate a gas stream with high CO2 contamination, produced during the oil 

extraction. These reservoirs have a continuous salt rock layer of 2000 m as 

caprock making the construction possible of salt caverns by leaching using 

seawater. In the first stage of technology development, the system will only 

store a gas stream contaminated with a high concentration of CO2. In the 

second stage of its development, it will allow not only the separation of natural 

gas from the CO2 but also its storage and the monetization of CH4. This paper 

presents the conceptual design of this technology, showing the steps from 

the parametric study to select the best relation between flowrate, leaching 

time, structural stability, and the volume of gas with the high content of CO2

storage, up to the final geomechanical design using the set of parameters 

selected.” Pedro Vassalo Maia da Costa, Alvaro Maia da Costa, Julio R. 

Meneghini, Kazuo Nishimoto, Claudio M. Sampaio, Gustavo Assi, Edgard 

Malta, Mariana B.R. Goulart, Andre Bergsten, Okhiria D. Udebhulu, 

Ricardo Cabral Azevedo, Sérgio M. de Eston, Giorgio de Tomi, Nelson 

F.F. Ebecken, Luiz Pinguelli Rosa, Antonio C.O. Miranda, Camila Brandão, 

and Alexandre Breda, International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining 

Sciences. (Subscription may be required.) 

The impact of energy trade patterns on CO2 emissions: An emergy 

and network analysis.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Fossil fuel is considered to 

be the major cause of CO2 emissions, and it flows across countries through 

the international energy trade. In this paper, [the authors] analyse the impact 

of energy trade patterns on CO2 emissions for a global sample from 2000 to 

2014. [The authors] construct an international fossil fuel trade network based 

on emergy theory and calculate some corresponding structural parameters. 

Then, [the authors] systematically evaluate the impact of energy trade on CO2

emissions from the trade volume and trade relationships perspectives. [The 

authors] obtain the following results: (1) Trade strength mainly affects CO2

emissions through the scale effect, composition effect and technique effect. 

(2) Trade security and trade-centre status of one country will significantly 

affect CO2 emissions. (3) For high economic-level (HE) countries, concentrating 

the trade volume on several finite countries will destroy the environment; low 

economic-level (LE) countries that are proximal to the important countries 

of the energy market will experience an increase in pollution. This research 

also discusses some implications for policy makers.” Hongwei Zhang, Ying 

Wang, Xuehong Zhu, and Yaoqi Guo, Energy Economics. (Subscription may 

be required.)

CO2 storage potential in sedimentary basins of Kazakhstan.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “The terms of the Paris 

Agreement oblige Kazakhstan to decrease its Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions 

by 2030. Annual GHG emissions of the country already went beyond the limit 

set by the Paris agreement in 2014 and this number is expected to increase 

with a growing economy showing that current measures of GHG mitigation in 

the country are insufficient. Despite the energy sector of the country being 

heavily dependent on its coal and substantial land resources, CCS was 

not featured in the ‘Green Economy’ plan of the country. To investigate the 

applicability of this technology, six selected Kazakhstan sedimentary basins 

(the Precaspian, Mangyshlak, South-Torgay, Ustyurt, Chu-Sarysu, and Zaysan 

basins) were evaluated and ranked for geologic CO2 storage deployment in 

terms of containment, capacity, and feasibility. The effective CO2 storage 

capacities in oil reservoirs, gas reservoirs, and saline aquifers were estimated 

for each basin using the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum (CSLF) and 

USDOE methods. The evaluations revealed that the Precaspian Basin is the 

most suitable for geological CO2 storage, followed by the Mangyshlak, South 

Torgay, and Ustyurt basins. The total effective CO2 storage capacity of the 

country is estimated to be ~583 Gt, of which ~539 Gt corresponds to the 

abovementioned four suitable basins where most of injected CO2 is expected to 

be stored in the hydrodynamic traps. The results suggest that four sedimentary 

basins identified in this study have prospectivity to reduce GHG emissions 

of Kazakhstan significantly and thus enable the decarbonization of national 

economy to achieve the goals set by the Paris Agreement.” Yerdaulet Abuov, 

Nurlan Seisenbayev, and Woojin Lee, International Journal of Greenhouse 

Gas Control. (Subscription may be required.)

JANUARY 2021

A Four-County Appraisal of the San Andres Residual Oil Zone (ROZ) 

“Fairway” of the Permian Basin.

The following is from the Introduction of this DOE/NETL report: “This report 

addresses the four-county San Andres Residual Oil Zone (ROZ) ‘fairway’ within 

the West Texas portion of the Permian Basin—Gaines, Yoakum, Terry, and 

Dawson counties. In this report, the term ‘ROZ fairway’ refers to the portion 

of the ROZ where there is no overlying oil field. The ROZ under a conventional 

oil field is not included in the assessment. This four-county San Andres ROZ 

fairway resource assessment has been undertaken to address five fundamental 

questions: [1.] What is the size and distribution of the in-place San Andres ROZ 

fairway oil resource favorable for CO2-enhanced oil recovery (EOR)? [2.] How 

much of this in-place San Andres ROZ fairway oil resource can be mobilized 

and technically produced using CO2 EOR? [3.] How much CO2 can be stored 

by developing the San Andres ROZ fairway resource in this four-county area? 

[4.] What portion of the San Andres ROZ fairway resource can be economically 

developed while providing by-product storage of CO2? [5.] What value could 

the uneconomic portion of the San Andres ROZ fairway resource provide?”

Start up and shutdown times of power carbon capture, usage and 

storage (CCUS) facilities.

The following is from the Executive Summary of this UK Department for 

Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) document: “The Department 

for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has commissioned AECOM 

to investigate potential improvements to the start-up and shut-down times 

of gas-fired power Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (power CCUS) 

facilities. This report summarises the outputs of the study, including process 

modelling to demonstrate the performance of a range of configuration variants 

and inputs to the BEIS Dynamic Dispatch Model. A reference or ‘standard’ 

configuration case was identified to achieve 95% capture of normal carbon 

dioxide emissions from a modern H-Class Combined Cycle Gas Turbine power 

plant. The standard configuration was developed from open literature, project 

history and AECOM experience of carbon capture processes and is recorded in 
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October 2020 – September 2021 PUBLICATIONS

the Basis of Design, which is appended to this report. Results of the literature 

review are also provided in an appendix to this report. A concept design was 

developed for the power CCUS facility, using Thermoflow 29 for the power 

cycle and ProMax 5.0 for the carbon capture process. Results of the simulation 

work are presented in the report, including concept material balances and 

estimated electrical and heat consumption of a 95% post-combustion capture 

plant. 35% MEA (no other solvent) was the solvent chosen for this study as an 

open-art, technology-neutral solvent.”

Could congressionally mandated incentives lead to deployment of 

large-scale CO2 capture, facilities for enhanced oil recovery CO2

markets and geologic CO2 storage?

The following is from the abstract of this article: “In passing the Bipartisan 

Budget Act of 2018, Congress reformed and strengthened a section of the tax 

code, 45Q, which provides tax credits of up to $35/ton CO2 for the capture and 

utilization of CO2 in qualifying applications such as enhanced oil recovery (EOR) 

and up to $50/ton CO2 for CO2 that is captured and permanently stored in a 

geologic repository. Earlier versions of the tax credit with lower credit values 

generated limited interest. This change to the tax code could potentially alter 

U.S. energy systems. This paper examines the effect of the increased 45Q 

credits on CO2 capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) deployment in the United 

States and on petroleum and power production. A range of potential outcomes 

is explored using five modeling tools. The paper goes on to explore the potential 

impact of possible modifications of the current tax credit including extension of 

its availability in time, the period over which 45Q tax credits can be utilized for 

any given asset and increases in the value of the credit as well as interactions 

with technology availability and carbon taxation. The paper concludes that 

45Q tax credits could stimulate additional CCUS beyond that which is already 

underway.” James Edmonds, Christopher Nichols, Misha Adamantiades, 

John Bistline, Jonathan Huster, Gokul Iyer, Nils Johnson, Pralit Patel, 

Sharon Showalter, Nadja Victor, Stephanie Waldhoff, Marshall Wise, and 

Frances Wood, Energy Policy. (Subscription may be required.)

Major role of particle fragmentation in regulating biological 

sequestration of CO2 by the oceans.

The following is the abstract of this article: “A critical driver of the ocean carbon 

cycle is the downward flux of sinking organic particles, which acts to lower the 

atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration. This downward flux is reduced by 

more than 70% in the mesopelagic zone (100 to 1000 meters of depth), but 

this loss cannot be fully accounted for by current measurements. For decades, 

it has been hypothesized that the missing loss could be explained by the 

fragmentation of large aggregates into small particles, although data to test 

this hypothesis have been lacking. In this work, using robotic observations, [the 

authors] quantified total mesopelagic fragmentation during 34 high-flux events 

across multiple ocean regions and found that fragmentation accounted for 49 

± 22% of the observed flux loss. Therefore, fragmentation may be the primary 

process controlling the sequestration of sinking organic carbon.” Nathan 

Briggs, Giorgio Dall’Olmo, and Hervé Claustre, Science. (Subscription may 

be required.) 

The Value of Bioenergy with CO2 Capture and Storage 

in an Electrified UK Heat Sector.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “The electrification of heat in 

the UK offers an alternative to a heating system dominated by natural gas, but 

poses significant challenges for the current energy supply, both in terms of 

meeting peak heat demand, and in decommissioning existing infrastructure. 

The UK’s recent adoption of a net zero target by 2050 signals an increase 

in ambition in heat decarbonisation targets. On the other hand, negative 

emissions from the power sector, in the form of bioelectricity with carbon 

capture and storage (BECCS), could provide both low-carbon firm power and 

CO2 removal, to assist in this transition. [The authors’] study explores the 

role of CO2 removal in least cost electrification pathways to net zero, using 

a spatially explicit hourly unit operation and capacity expansion optimisation 

model of the UK heat and power sectors. [The authors] model the full biomass 

and CCS value chains to account for potential geo-physical, sustainability and 

financial constraints to BECCS deployment at the regional level. [The authors’] 

contribution introduces the methodology to derive the biomass supply curve 

and CO2 storage capacity and injectivity cost curves for the UK.” Mathilde 

Fajardy, Vasileios Charitopoulos, and David Reiner, Computer Aided 

Chemical Engineering. (Subscription may be required.)

Amazon forest response to CO2 fertilization dependent 

on plant phosphorus acquisition.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Global terrestrial models 

currently predict that the Amazon rainforest will continue to act as a carbon 

sink in the future, primarily owing to the rising atmospheric carbon dioxide 

(CO2) concentration. Soil phosphorus impoverishment in parts of the Amazon 

basin largely controls its functioning, but the role of phosphorus availability has 

not been considered in global model ensembles—for example, during the Fifth 

Climate Model Intercomparison Project. Here [the authors] simulate the planned 

free-air CO2 enrichment experiment AmazonFACE with an ensemble of 14 

terrestrial ecosystem models. [The authors] show that phosphorus availability 

reduces the projected CO2-induced biomass carbon growth by about 50% to 

79±63 gCm−2 yr−1 over 15 years compared to estimates from carbon and 

carbon–nitrogen models. [The authors’] results suggest that the resilience of 

the region to climate change may be much less than previously assumed. 

Variation in the biomass carbon response among the phosphorus-enabled 

models is considerable, ranging from 5 to 140 gCm−2 yr−1, owing to the 

contrasting plant phosphorus use and acquisition strategies considered among 

the models. The Amazon forest response thus depends on the interactions 

and relative contributions of the phosphorus acquisition and use strategies 

across individuals, and to what extent these processes can be upregulated 

under elevated CO2.”Katrin Fleischer, Anja Rammig, Martin G. De Kauwe, 

Anthony P. Walker, Tomas F. Domingues, Lucia Fuchslueger, Sabrina 

Garcia, Daniel S. Goll, Adriana Grandis, Mingkai Jiang, Vanessa Haverd, 

Florian Hofhansl, Jennifer A. Holm, Bart Kruijt, Felix Leung, Belinda 

E. Medlyn, Lina M. Mercado, Richard J. Norby, Bernard Pak, Celso 

von Randow, Carlos A. Quesada, Karst J. Schaap, Oscar J. ValverdeBarrantes, Ying-Ping Wang, Xiaojuan Yang, Sönke Zaehle, Qing Zhu, and 

David M. Lapola, Nature Geoscience. (Subscription may be required.)

The current status of high temperature electrochemistry-based 

CO2 transport membranes and reactors for direct CO2 capture 

and conversion.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “The concept of direct CO2

capture and conversion has attracted significant interest from industries and 

academia in recent decades due to its potential to address the current grand 

challenge of global warming/climate change, rapid depletion of fossil fuels and 

realization of a future carbon neutral ecosystem. The incumbent benchmark 

technology for CO2 capture is the post-combustion flue-gas ‘amine washing’, 

which is energy intensive and costly for large-scale commercial implementation. 

The CO2 conversion technologies, on the other hand, are still at their infancy 

with many technical challenges to overcome, but primarily being explored in 

laboratory-scale, low-temperature, solution-based and high-temperature, 

solid-oxide-based electrochemical cells with renewable electricity perceived as 

the energy input. In this article, [the authors] provide a comprehensive overview 

on an emergent class of high-temperature electrochemical CO2 transport 

membranes that can capture and convert CO2 into valuable chemicals in single 

catalytic reactor fashion. The review starts with the chemistry and transport 

theory of three basic types of membranes purposely designed for different CO2

feedstocks and downstream conversions. A range of key functional materials 

used in these membranes and their microstructural/electrochemical properties 

important to the CO2 transport are then thoroughly discussed in conjunction 

with the effects of surface modifications and operating conditions. Several 

types of combined CO2 capture and conversion catalytic reactors based on 

these membranes are also assessed with a focus on their working principles, 

system configurations and performance demonstrations. Finally, challenges 

and prospective of these electrochemical CO2 transport membranes and their 

associated conversion reactors are candidly discussed for future development.” 

Peng Zhang, Jingjing Tong, Kevin Huangm Xuefeng Zhu, and Weishen 

Yang, Progress in Energy and Combustion Science. (Subscription may be 

required.)
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October 2020 – September 2021 PUBLICATIONS

Post-combustion CO2 capture from a natural gas combined cycle 

power plant using activated carbon adsorption.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “As fossil fuel power plants 

have emitted significant quantity of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere 

which aggravates climate change, capturing and storing such emissions is key 

to mitigate the issue. An adsorption system based on a physical adsorbent i.e. 

activated carbon is first assessed to capture CO2 emissions from a natural gas 

combined cycle. Then a subcritical sequential supplementary firing combined 

cycle with CO2 capture is used to analyse the effect of CO2 concentration. 

Analyses are carried out in terms of power loss and thermal efficiency. To 

evaluate the advantages of post-combustion CO2 capture using activated 

carbon, results are compared with systems using a commercial absorbent, i.e. 

monoethanolamine and a chemical adsorbent i.e. polyethyleneimine/silica. The 

net efficiency of natural gas combined cycle using activated carbon increases 

slightly from 50.8% to 51.1% due to the lower regeneration temperature at 

358 K. The performance of the system using PEI/silica is almost the same as 

that using activated carbon at 368 K. Although the thermal energy required to 

regenerate the activated carbon is relatively high, a significant improvement 

of net efficiency is observed with increased partial pressure. Economic 

analysis indicates that the systems using activated carbon is a competitive 

alternative for CO2 capture. It is concluded activated carbon is relatively more 

advantageous than monoethanolamine in terms of efficiency and cost, which 

could be further improved with enhanced heat and mass recovery.” L. Jiang, 

A. Gonzalez-Diaz, J. Ling-Chin, A.P. Roskilly, and A.J. Smallbone, Applied 

Energy. (Subscription may be required.)

A comprehensive review of value-added CO2 sequestration in 

subsurface saline aquifers.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “This paper comprehensively 

reviews CO2 sequestration process in saline aquifers. The storage mechanisms 

including structural, residual, solubility, and mineral trappings are assessed 

along with a discussion of their relative contributions, and their key parameters 

and optimisations. In view of storage security and capacity, effects of rock 

and fluid properties and reservoir conditions together with injection strategies 

are discussed. Furthermore, CO2 storage site selection is investigated followed 

by an evaluation of the different measurement, monitoring and verification 

methods to mitigate the risk of leakage. Field examples with key learnings 

are also presented to help engineers with sustainable development of storage 

projects.” Sunil Kumar, Jalal Foroozesh, Katriona Edlmann, Mohamed 

Gamal Rezk, and Chun Yan Lim, Journal of Natural Gas Science and 

Engineering. (Subscription may be required.)

FEBRUARY 2021

CCS deployment at dispersed industrial sites.

The following is from the Executive Summary of this UK Department for 

Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) research paper: “The Department 

for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy commissioned Element Energy in 

2019 to identify and assess the range of high-level deployment options for 

Industrial Carbon Capture (ICC) technology on sites isolated from CO2 transport 

and storage infrastructure in the United Kingdom. This area is of particular 

relevance because most of the existing Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) 

reports in the UK focus on how shoreline CCS clusters can be developed. 

Isolated or inland emitters and clusters are generally excluded in these reports, 

or high-level onshore pipelines routes are presented in the longer term once the 

shoreline hubs are developed; the level of thinking and evidence are therefore 

limited in this area. In this work [the authors] identify key dispersed sites in 

the UK as well as their unique challenges and barriers to CCS deployment. 

Next, [the authors] appraise a range of high-level options for CCS deployment 

and the risks associated with each challenge and finally [the authors] assess 

the most promising options based on their cost, risk and emission reduction 

potential. [The authors] also include a comparison of CCS against alternatives 

such as carbon utilisation and hydrogen fuel switching based on the same 

metrics. This work has been supported by a period of stakeholder engagement 

during which organisations involved across a wide range of the CCS value 

chain were consulted.”

Scaling Up the CCS Market to Deliver Net-Zero Emissions.

The following is from the Executive Summary of this Global CCS Institute 

report: “Understanding how the carbon capture and storage (CCS) market 

is likely to develop over the coming years is of interest to a wide range of 

stakeholders. It can help inform the timing and design of policies introduced 

by governments, the scale of the market for potential investors, and the 

challenges associated with meeting long-term climate targets. This report aims 

to inform the discussion on these topics by providing an overview of the nearterm and longer-term developments in the CCS market. It reviews the current 

CCS facility pipeline, and how that could change in the next few years given 

project lead-in times. It then considers how this compares to projections of the 

number of CCS facilities needed to meet long-term climate goals. Throughout 

the report the number of CCS facilities deployed is used as a proxy for the size 

of the CCS market. The current CCS facility pipeline provides a relatively robust 

indicator of the CCS market in the next few years, particularly given it takes 

around 6-8 years for projects to progress through the full development cycle. 

There are currently 51 large-scale CCS facilities in the CCS facility pipeline, 

with 19 in operation, 4 under construction, 10 in advanced development and 

18 in early development. Most of the large-scale facilities in operation are 

in North America, with the remainder in Norway, China, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, 

Australia and the UAE. The projects tend to be concentrated in industries where 

the unit cost of capturing CO2 is low, such as natural gas processing, fertiliser 

and ethanol production.”

A knowledge-data framework and geospatial fuzzy logic-based 

approach to model and predict structural complexity.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Prediction of structural complexity 

for geohazard and subsurface resource applications requires constraining and 

interpreting data that are often ambiguous or lack key information. Moreover, 

structural complexity is a subjective term, requiring context for quantification. 

Recognizing this, a new knowledge-data framework and a geospatial fuzzy 

logic method is developed to represent and predict structural complexity in 

the subsurface. A conceptual model for known structural complexity serves 

as a basis for associating geospatial representations with types of damage 

zones. A second conceptual model for zones of structural complexity facilitates 

its prediction, notably in areas with limited explicit structural data. For each 

conceptual model, a fuzzy logic inference model is developed to incorporate 

geospatial data and estimate structural complexity potential. This approach 

is demonstrated using several public geospatial datasets within the state of 

Oklahoma. Explicit fault and earthquake location data were integrated using 

a fuzzy model of known structural complexity to train topographic, lithologic, 

and geophysical proxy datasets, applied to a fuzzy model to predict structural 

complexity, and evaluated with Receiver Operating Characteristic analyses 

and error classification. The final model output, displayed in maps and cross 

sections, offers comparison with interpreted structural data for validation. 

Together, these results demonstrate the effectiveness and limitations of the 

new approach as a screening tool for predicting structurally complex areas.” 

Devin Justman, C. Gabriel Creason, Kelly Rose, and Jennifer Bauer,

Journal of Structural Geology. (Subscription may be required.)

A European Optimisation Tool for Carbon Capture and Storage, 

Accounting for Delays in Public Procurement.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “The global anthropogenic 

generation of greenhouse gasses experienced an exponential increase 

compared to pre-industrial levels and, among these, CO2 is the most abundant, 

with an emission that rose globally from 2 Gt/year in 1850 to over 35 Gt/year 

in 2010. Carbon capture and storage has been highlighted among the most 

promising options to decarbonise the energy sector, especially considering the 

European context which heavily relies on fossil fuels. When dealing with the 

strategic design and planning of an international carbon capture and storage 

infrastructure, the necessity of taking into account the differential behaviour 

among the European countries in terms of public procurement and assignation 

delays emerges as a key requirement for attaining an effective implementation 

of the network. This contribution proposes a mixed integer linear programming 

modelling framework for the economic optimisation of a multinational 

European carbon capture and storage supply chain, including the effects of 
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October 2020 – September 2021 PUBLICATIONS

countrywide delays in public procurement. Assignation lags are implemented 

as an additional cost for the installation of the network. Results show that only 

minor modifications in the supply chain design should be taken into account 

with respect to an equivalent non-delayed scenario, with a consequent just 

moderate increase in transport costs (+ 3 %). Moreover, it is shown that 

capture and sequestration stages are barely not affected by the introduction of 

assignation lags among countries.” Federico d’Amore, Leonardo Lovisotto, 

and Fabrizio Bezzo, Computer Aided Chemical Engineering. (Subscription 

may be required.)

Coal phase-outs and carbon prices: Interactions between EU 

emission trading and national carbon mitigation policies.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “The European Union 

Emission Trading System (EU ETS) constitutes the core instrument of the 

European Union climate protection policy. It limits greenhouse gas emissions 

of its member states and aims at facilitating an efficient allocation of emission 

reduction across national borders. Accompanying this policy at the European 

level, individual member states have introduced national mitigation policies, 

including renewable energy (RES) expansion measures or coal phase-outs. 

This study examines to what extent national policies affect the effectiveness 

of the EU ETS and to what degree the impact is reflected in prices for 

European Union Allowances (EUA). To investigate this question, a fundamental 

optimization model of the European electricity markets is deployed and model 

endogenous EUA prices are derived with a set of future market scenarios. 

Overall findings indicate that fundamental market forces strongly affect EUA 

prices. Furthermore, national policies play a critical role: The expansion of RES 

does not affect the capacity of the EU ETS to provide sufficient price signals 

for the desired level of decarbonization but a coal phase-out has a strong 

price-suppressing effect. A withdrawal of certificates can re-establish the 

effectiveness of the EU ETS but prices can rise drastically when overestimating 

the necessary amount.” Carl-Philipp Anke, Hannes Hobbie, Steffi Schreiber, 

and Dominik Möst, Energy Policy. (Subscription may be required.)

Machine learning based co-optimization of carbon dioxide 

sequestration and oil recovery in CO2-EOR project.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “This paper presents a machine 

learning assisted computational workflow to optimize a CO2-WAG project 

considering both hydrocarbon recovery and CO2 sequestration efficacies. 

A compositional field-scaled numerical simulation model is structured to 

investigate the fluid flow dynamics of an on-going CO2-EOR project in the 

Farnsworth Unit (Texas, US). Artificial-neural-network (ANN) based proxy 

models are trained to predict time-series project responses including 

hydrocarbon production, CO2 storage and reservoir pressure data. The outputs 

of the proxy model not only serve for evaluating the objective function but 

also provide significant physical and economic constraints to the optimization 

processes. In this work, the objective function considers both the oil recovery 

and CO2 sequestration volume. Moreover, the project net present values (NPV) 

and reservoir pressure are employed to screen the optimum solutions. The 

proposed optimization workflow couples the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) 

algorithm and the ANN proxies to maximize the prescribed objective function. 

The results of this work indicate that the presented workflow is a more robust 

approach to co-optimize the CO2-EOR projects. Results show that the optimized 

case can store about 94% of the purchased CO2 within Farnsworth Unit. 

Comparing to the baseline case, the CO2 storage amount of the found optimal 

case increases by 21.69%, and the oil production improves 8.74%. More 

importantly, the improvements in CO2 storage and hydrocarbon recovery lead 

to 8.74% greater project NPV and 19.79% higher overall objective function 

value, which confirms the success of the developed co-optimization approach 

for CO2 sequestration and oil recovery. The lessons and experiences earned 

from this work provides significant insights into the decision-making process of 

similar CO2-EOR cases.” Junyu You, William Ampomah, Qian Sun, Eusebius 

Junior Kutsienyo, Robert Scott Balch, Zhenxue Dai, Martha Cather, 

and Xiaoying Zhang, Journal of Cleaner Production. (Subscription may be 

required.)

Carbon sequestration and vegetation properties across the age of 

community managed exclosures in Northern Ethiopia.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Exclosure management 

is becoming a common approach to rehabilitate and increase net biomass 

productivity of extremely degraded areas in Northern Ethiopia. However, the 

effect of age of exclosures on vegetation and soil property of communal 

lands is not yet well studied. In this study, the effect of land exclusion and 

age of exclosure on plant species richness, diversity, density and dominance, 

herbaceous standing biomass, woody biomass, woody biomass carbon, soil 

organic carbon (SOC) and other soil properties were assessed. To study the 

above listed variables, exclosures in three age classes (5–7, 12–15 and >20 

years) and adjacent free grazing areas were selected. [The authors] replicate 

each age class three times considering agroecological similarity. From each 

exclosure and free grazing area, six larger plots (10m × 20m) each having 

five small quadrats were taken. Totally, 72 larger plots and 360 small quadrats 

were sampled. The result of this study indicates that exclusion of communal 

lands significantly improved species richness, diversity, biomass, woody 

biomass carbon, SOC, total nitrogen (TN) and total potassium (TK). Similarly, 

the density of perennial species and the density of grass species were found 

increased with the age of exclosure. Herbaceous species richness, diversity 

and annual species density were higher in the young-aged exclosures than in 

the older exclosures. Woody species richness, diversity, density, biomass, and 

woody biomass carbon were highest in the older exclosures. Besides, age of 

exclosure increases the content of SOC, TN and TK. Furthermore, it was found 

that the old-aged exclosures stored more biomass carbon (267 %) and SOC 

(37.66 %) than the young-aged exclosures. The study indicates the benefits 

of land exclosure for permanent carbon storage, which is vital to reduce 

atmospheric greenhouse gas concentration.” Gebrehaweria Kidane Reda, 

Teame Gebrehiwot Kebede, Shishay Tekklay Kahsay, and Berhane Hagos 

Gebrehiwot, Journal for Nature Conservation. (Subscription may be required.)

Carbon dioxide wettability of South West Hub sandstone, Western 

Australia: Implications for carbon geo-storage.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “CO2-rock wettability is a 

key factor which determines the fluid dynamics and CO2 geo-storage capacity. 

However, the full understanding of real reservoir CO2-wettability is yet to be 

gained. [The authors] thus systematically analysed the wettability of CO2/brine/

South West Hub sandstones at various pressures (0.1 MPa, 5 MPa, 10 MPa, 

15 MPa, and 20 MPa) at 334 K. A new procedure based on organic carbon 

isotope tracking (δ13Corg) was proposed to eliminate the effect of artificial 

organic matter introduced by drilling mud penetration. The results indicate that 

the advancing (θa) and receding (θr) water contact angles for the CO2/brine/

South West Hub sandstone system increase with increase in pressure (ranging 

from 71° to 118° and 66° to 111°). It can thus be suggested that the system 

is weakly water-wet to intermediate-wet. When the samples were treated with 

dichloromethane, a slight decline in organic content was observed leading to 

slight decrease in water contact angles (i.e. TOC decreased from 0.019% to 

0.003% for core C, and the corresponding θa and θr decreased from 118° and 

111° to 110° and 104°, respectively, at 20 MPa and 334 K). This wettability 

analysis demonstrates that (a) of the contact angle is very sensitive to the 

amount of organic matter and therefore care should be taken to remove 

artificial organic matter from the sample, and that (b) this condition prevails in 

a real proposed CO2-storage site. This analysis thus has important implications 

for assessing the feasibility of long-term CO2 storage and enabling large-scale 

industrial carbon geological storage projects.” Cut Aja Fauziah, Ahmed Z. 

Al-Yaseri, Nilesh Kumar Jha, Christopher Lagat, Hamid Roshan, Ahmed 

Barifcani, and Stefan Iglauer, International Journal of Greenhouse Gas 

Control. (Subscription may be required.)

Sustainable utilization and storage of carbon dioxide: Analysis 

and design of an innovative supply chain.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “A mixed integer linear 

programming model is developed for the optimal design of carbon capture 

utilization and storage supply chain in Germany. A sensitivity analysis shows 

that for the optimal supply chain the total costs are 97.9 billion €/year with 

a NPV of 675 billion € and a PB of 2.71 years: the economic profitability is 
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October 2020 – September 2021 PUBLICATIONS

ensured only due to the use carbon tax. Also, 160 MtonCO2 year are captured 

to produce methanol, concrete, wheat, lignin, polyurethane, calcium carbonate, 

urea and concrete by red mud. It is found that the selection of capture material/

technology depends on CO2 composition, flue gas flow rate and CO2 final 

use The high flow rate of flue gasses with a CO2 composition between 13 

mol% and 22 mol%, is most effectively captured by absorption technology. A 

Monte Carlo simulation is carried out to evaluate the uncertainties regarding 

the selling price and national demand of compounds.” Grazia Leonzio, Pier 

Ugo Foscolo, and Edwin Zondervan, Computers & Chemical Engineering. 

(Subscription may be required.)

Zeolite and fly ash in the composition of oil well cement: Evaluation 

of degradation by CO2 under geological storage condition.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “The performance of cement 

class G used in cementation of oilfield wellbores with addition of pozzolans 

was evaluated under geological carbon storage conditions. Two commercial 

synthetic zeolites types (4A-1 and 4A-2) and fly ash from a coal-fired plant 

were used as pozzolanic materials in amounts of 5 and 10% in weight replacing 

the cement. After curing, the cement samples were submitted to degradation 

tests in CO2-saturated water at 15 MPa and 90°C for 7 and 14 days. The 

cement chemical degradation by CO2 was investigated using scanning electron 

microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and compressive strength tests. The 

chemically altered layer thickness was averaged 3.46 mm for standard cement 

after 14 days of exposure to CO2. On the other hand, cement systems with 

10% wt. of pozzolanic material varied from 1.70 to 5.50 mm depending on the 

type of pozzolan and level of cementitious matrix porosity related to pozzolanic 

particle clustering. In general, 4A-1 zeolite presented better performance in 

terms of resistance to CO2 attack and higher compressive strength after 14 

days when compared to 4A-2 zeolite. The results showed that the addition of 

fly ash improved the compressive strength of the samples but increased the 

chemically altered layer due to CO2 diffusion. SEM and XRD analyses showed 

that the portlandite was consumed and carbonation occurred in the chemical 

modified layer due to cement reaction with aqueous CO2. Most cement 

systems with and without pozzolanic material exhibited no expressive loss on 

compressive strength after being exposed to CO2-rich environment up to 14 

days. On the contrary, some cement systems with 4-A1 zeolite and fly ash 

exhibited a mechanical resistance increase due to the carbonation process.” 

Roger Braun Ledesma, Natália Feijó Lopes, Katryanne Georg Bacca, 

Martimiano Krusciel de Moraes, Giovanni dos Santos Batista, Marçal 

Rodrigues Pires, and Eleani Maria da Costa, Journal of Petroleum Science 

and Engineering. (Subscription may be required.)

MARCH 2021

Energy transition: Measurement needs for carbon, capture, 

usage and storage.

The following is from the Introduction of this United Kingdom (UK) National 

Physical Laboratory (NPL) document: “In 2019, the UK became the first major 

economy to pass legislation that committed to a target of net zero greenhouse 

gas (GHG) emissions by the year 2050, and by 2045 in Scotland... As of 

September 2020, the global average CO2 content in the atmosphere was 

around 411 parts per million (ppm), which is ‘higher than at any point in at least 

the past 800,000 years’. However, there are uncertainties in the scale, timeline 

and geographical nature of the impacts of climate change on society and hence 

in the relative value of differing mitigation strategies. These uncertainties mean 

that the consequences for society, in both action and inaction, are dramatic 

and far-reaching. CCUS provides an effective transitionary tool to deal with 

these uncertainties and to enable progress towards net zero whilst allowing 

the economy to time to adapt.”

Carbon Capture and Storage Market: Technology Innovations 

and Analysis Till 2030.

The following are key highlights of this Prophecy Market Insights report: “The 

global carbon capture and storage market accounted for US$ 1.4 billion in 

2018 and is projected to register a moderate CAGR of 9.30% over the forecast 

period. The market report has been segmented on the [capture] technology, 

end-user industry, and region. By technology, pre-combustion is dominating 

the segment, due to increased energy generation, newly developed advanced 

amine systems. By end-user industry, the oil and gas industry is dominating 

the segment, as carbon capture and storage (CCS), is aiding the oil and gas 

industry to mitigate greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere. By region, North 

America is projected to lead the global carbon capture and storage market 

and is expected to remain dominant during the forecast period, owing to the 

growing demand for clean technology.”

Recent advances in carbon dioxide utilization.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the 

major contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the main driver of 

climate change. Currently, CO2 utilization is increasingly attracting interest in 

processes like enhanced oil recovery and coal bed methane and it has the 

potential to be used in hydraulic fracturing processes, among others. In this 

review, the latest developments in CO2 capture, utilization, conversion, and 

sequestration are examined through a multi-scale perspective. The diverse 

range of CO2 utilization applications, including mineralization, biological 

utilization, food and beverages, energy storage media, and chemicals, is 

comprehensively presented. We also discuss the worldwide research and 

development of CO2 utilization projects. Lastly, we examine the key challenges 

and issues that must be faced for pilot-scale and industrial applications in 

the future. This study demonstrates that CO2 utilization can be a driver for 

the future development of carbon capture and utilization technologies. 

However, considering the amount of CO2 produced globally, even if it can 

be reduced in the near-to mid-term future, carbon capture and storage will 

remain the primary strategy and, so, complementary strategies are desirable. 

Currently, the main CO2 utilization industry is enhanced oil and gas recovery, 

but considering the carbon life cycle, these processes still add CO2 to the 

atmosphere. In order to implement other CO2 utilization technologies at a 

large scale, in addition to their current technical feasibility, their economic and 

societal viability is critical. Therefore, future efforts should be directed toward 

reduction of energy penalties and costs, and the introduction of policies and 

regulation encouraging carbon capture, utilization and storage, and increasing 

the public acceptance of the strategies in a complementary manner.” Zhien 

Zhang, Shu-Yuan Pan, Hao Li, Jianchao Cai, Abdul Ghani Olabi, Edward 

John Anthony, and Vasilije Manovic, Renewable and Sustainable Energy 

Reviews. (Subscription may be required.)

Evolution patterns of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage 

(BECCS) from a science mapping perspective.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Negative emissions 

technologies (NETs), which remove and isolate carbon dioxide from the 

atmosphere, are expected to play a significant role in mitigating climate 

change. As one of the most promising NETs, bioenergy with carbon capture 

and storage (BECCS) methods, which captures carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions 

from bioenergy plants and then stores them in geological reservoirs, are 

being widely used in climate change scenarios. With the increased focus 

on mitigating solutions, several concerns have been raised regarding the 

deployment of BECCS. As no science mapping analyses of evolutionary BECCS 

patterns have yet been made, this study sought to determine these evolution 

patterns using a systematic analysis approach based on science mapping and 

visualization analyses. Under a longitudinal framework, the conceptual BECCS 

evolutionary track was determined using SciMAT to elucidate the structure 

and dynamic aspects of the associated scientific research. The co-word 

network and thematic evolutionary analysis revealed five main BECCS related 

themes. While this study provides a systematic study of BECCS research and 

development, further research should continue to focus on techno-economic 

analyses and the ecological and environmental impacts (land-use, water, 

diversity, and bioenergy crops) of BECCS. An increased research focus on the 

emerging biochar and hydrogen production themes is expected.” Meihui Li, 

Yi Lu, and Mengjiao Huang, Science of The Total Environment. (Subscription 

may be required.)
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October 2020 – September 2021 PUBLICATIONS

The value of hydrogen and carbon capture, storage and 

utilisation in decarbonising energy: Insights from integrated 

value chain optimisation.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “There is increasing interest 

in carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) and hydrogen-based 

technologies for decarbonising energy systems and providing flexibility. 

However, the overall value of these technologies is vigorously debated. 

Value chain optimisation can determine how carbon dioxide and hydrogen 

technologies will fit into existing value chains in the energy and chemicals 

sectors and how effectively they can assist in meeting climate change targets. 

This is the first study to model and optimise the integrated value chains 

for carbon dioxide and hydrogen, providing a whole-system assessment of 

the role of CCUS and hydrogen technologies within the energy system. The 

results show that there are opportunities for CCUS to decarbonise existing 

power generation capacity but long-term decarbonisation and flexibility can be 

achieved at lower cost through renewables and hydrogen storage. Methanol 

produced from carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) becomes profitable at a 

price range of £72–102/MWh, compared to a current market price of about 

£52/MWh. However, this remains well below existing prices for transport fuels, 

so there is an opportunity to displace existing fuel demands with CCU products. 

Nonetheless, the scope for decarbonisation from these CCU pathways is small. 

For investment in carbon capture and storage to become attractive, additional 

drivers such as decarbonisation of industry and negative emissions policies 

are required. The model and the insights presented in this paper will be 

valuable to policymakers and investors for assessing the potential value of the 

technologies considered and the policies required to incentivise their uptake.” 

Christopher J. Quarton and Sheila Samsatli, Applied Energy. (Subscription 

may be required).

Freight consolidation and containerization strategy under business 

as usual scenario & carbon tax regulation.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “With the increase of greenhouse 

gasses and climate change, international regulators faced a challenging 

task in determining carbon footprint regulations. With global greenhouse 

gas emissions from maritime logistics accounts for about 2.5%, this study 

would take to account for shipment containerization strategies under carbon 

tax regulation to explore the influence of carbon tax regulation on maritime 

logistics carbon emission reduction. The motivation of this study comes from a 

real case example of freight consolidation and containerization problem (FCCP) 

in Indonesia. This study tries to model an actual problem faced by a third-party 

logistics provider in consolidating goods into various sizes of containers while 

keeping the total transportation costs as low as possible. The most significant 

contributions of this study are to incorporate environmental factors into the 

FCCP model and to illustrate the impacts of various carbon footprints schemes 

on both cost and carbon emissions. Therefore, shipment containerization 

strategies under various carbon footprints schemes are formulated to minimize 

the transportation costs, as well as to lower the amount of carbon emission 

from maritime and land transport modes. The methodology used is a casebased approach; it depicts product delivery activities from one origin hub in 

Kaohsiung, Taiwan, to the biggest retailer stores in Jakarta, Indonesia. The 

aim is to incorporate environmental factors and illustrate how the proposed 

policy balances both cost and carbon emissions. Under the proposed policy, a 

new mixed-integer programming model is introduced considering the freight 

consolidation and containerization problem. Based on the different groups 

of numerical results, [the authors] found that the shipment containerization 

strategy under carbon tax regulation gives a better outcome in terms of total 

transportation cost and total carbon emissions compared with the business 

as usual policy.” Sunil Tiwari, Hui Ming Wee, Yanjie Zhou, and Leonardo 

Tjoeng, Journal of Cleaner Production. (Subscription may be required.)

Ex-post investigation of cost pass-through in the EU ETS – an 

analysis for six industry sectors.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “In the discussion on the 

potential risk of carbon leakage related to the EU ETS and the effect of 

safeguard measures, the scope for passing through carbon costs into final 

product prices is considered a key issue. This study investigates whether 

and to what extent ETS-related carbon costs have been passed through into 

product prices by EU industry. Literature on the issue of carbon cost passthrough in industry, other than electric power generation, is relatively sparse 

and [the authors] therefore aim to add to the knowledge gathered in this area 

so far. [The authors] investigate a number of products in six industry sectors 

in several European countries and regions and provide estimates for carbon 

cost pass-through for more than 50 product/country pairs. In line with the 

literature, [the authors’] econometric results imply significant cost passthrough for a number of products, with results being most conclusive for the 

cement, iron and steel, and refineries sectors. The extent of the estimated 

pass-through rates diverges between products and countries/regions. These 

findings are aimed at informing discussions about carbon leakage protection 

for industries covered by the EU ETS.” Johanna Cludius, Sander de Bruyn, 

Katja Schumacher, and Robert Vergeer, Energy Economics. (Subscription 

may be required.) 

No-tillage did not increase organic carbon storage but stimulated 

N2O emissions in an intensively cultivated sandy loam soil: 

A negative climate effect.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Although numerous studies 

have been conducted on the effects of no-tillage on carbon (C) sequestration 

in agricultural systems, there is still no consensus on the balance between the 

potential of C sequestration and nitrous oxide (N2O) or nitric oxide (NO) emissions. 

A no-tillage field experiment in the North China Plain was established in 2006 

and the influence of no-tillage on N2O and NO emissions was monitored under 

an annual wheat-maize cropping system. The study included four treatments: 

no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) soils amended with N fertilizer at 

a rate of 225 kg N ha–1 for wheat and 195 kg N ha–1 for maize (NTN and CTN) 

and without N fertilizer (NT0 and CT0). Three years of no-tillage significantly 

(p < 0.05) increased soil organic C (SOC) content by 12.2% in the 0–5 cm soil 

layer, possibly due to the surface aggregation of organic C derived from crop 

roots and exudates, but did not alter SOC pool in the 0–30 cm profile. Annual 

N2O emissions in the NT0 and CT0 treatments were 0.53 and 0.57 kg N2O-N 

ha–1, respectively, and were significantly (p < 0.05) increased to 0.96 kg N2O-N 

ha–1 in CTN and to 1.23 kg N2O-N ha–1 in NTN. Remarkable differences in N2O 

emissions between CTN and NTN were observed during the maize growing 

season. In contrast, NO emissions were not affected by the tillage regimes 

regardless of N fertilization. The mean ratios of NO/N2O fluxes in N-unfertilized 

plots were 0.26–0.29 and 1.79–2.11 for the maize and wheat season, 

respectively, indicating that both NO and N2O were primarily derived from 

denitrification during the maize growing season and from nitrification under 

wheat cultivation. Under N-fertilized plots, the ratios increased to 1.44–2.02 

and 5.00–6.03 for the maize and wheat season, respectively, with significantly 

(p < 0.05) lower values in NTN plots than in CTN plots. The N2O emission 

factors for N applied in the wheat-maize rotation system were 0.16% and 

0.09% for NTN and CTN, respectively, which was far lower than the IPCC Tier 1 

default value (1.0%), primarily due to the absence of irrigation after fertilization 

in maize season and low temperature in wheat season. The results suggest 

that the 3-year no-tillage regime with residue removal did not substantially 

increase C storage in the 0–30 cm profile, but stimulated N2O emissions 

primarily by increasing denitrification.” Yuhui Niu, Yanjiang Cai, Zengming 

Chen, Jiafa Luo, Hong J Di, Hongyan Yu, Anning Zhu, and Weixin Ding, Soil 

and Tillage Research. (Subscription may be required.)

First report on carbon storage in a warm-temperate mangrove 

forest in South Africa.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Carbon (C) storage by 

vegetated coastal habitats (mangroves, salt marshes and seagrasses) is 

globally recognized as a critical ecosystem service. Research efforts have 

therefore focused on quantifying C stored in these ‘blue carbon’ ecosystems 

but a notable knowledge gap still exists for certain geographical regions. This 

study aimed to provide the first comprehensive assessment of C storage in 

South African warm temperate mangroves by quantifying the C storage in 

aboveground biomass and soil C pools associated with the mangrove forest 

at the Nxaxo Estuary. C storage variability was also related to mangrove forest 

structure and soil environmental variables. C storage was quantified using 

standardized protocols for aboveground (live trees, leaf litter, pneumatophores) 
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and soil C pools at five Avicennia marina sites. The results showed soil C 

storage to be spatially variable while aboveground C pools were similar between 

intertidal zones within the sites. The soil C pool made the largest contribution 

to total C storage at each site and ranged from 176.91 ± 4.5MgC.ha−1 to 

262.53 ± 18.8 MgC.ha−1. Of the aboveground carbon pools, live trees made 

the largest contribution and ranged from 2.25 ± 1.0 MgC.ha−1 to 9.56 ± 

3.6 MgC.ha−1. Across all sites, average C storage for all pools was 234.9 

± 39.16 MgC.ha−1, which falls within the range reported for mangroves at 

other southern hemisphere range limits. Variability in soil C was linearly related 

to soil organic matter but this relationship was inconsistent between different 

soil depth intervals that were sampled. Total C storage was inversely related 

to mangrove tree density. This study confirms the need for more blue carbon 

studies to quantify C storage in under-represented geographical areas and to 

investigate factors that drive variability in C storage at different spatial scales.” 

Jaime L. Johnson, Jacqueline L. Raw, and Janine B. Adams, Estuarine, 

Coastal and Shelf Science. (Subscription may be required.)

APRIL 2021

Accelerating Decarbonization of the U.S. Energy System.

The following is from a description of this National Academies of Sciences, 

Engineering, and Medicine report: “The world is transforming its energy system 

from one dominated by fossil fuel combustion to one with net-zero emissions of 

carbon dioxide (CO2), the primary anthropogenic greenhouse gas. This energy 

transition is critical to mitigating climate change, protecting human health, and 

revitalizing the U.S. economy. To help policymakers, businesses, communities, 

and the public better understand what a net-zero transition would mean 

for the United States, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and 

Medicine convened a committee of experts to investigate how the U.S. could 

best decarbonize its transportation, electricity, buildings, and industrial sectors. 

This report, Accelerating Decarbonization of the United States Energy System, 

identifies key technological and socio-economic goals that must be achieved to 

put the United States on the path to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. 

The report presents a policy blueprint outlining critical near-term actions for 

the first decade (2021-2030) of this 30-year effort, including ways to support 

communities that will be most impacted by the transition.” (Purchase may be 

required.)

Taskforce on Scaling Voluntary Carbon Markets: Final Report.

The following is from the Executive Summary of this Institute of International 

Finance (IFF) report: “... Achieving a global net-zero goal is critical for the 

health of the planet, the stability of ecosystems, and to ensure safe conditions 

for future generations. To achieve this goal, deep, broad-ranging, and rapid 

action to reduce emissions must begin immediately across all sectors of the 

economy. In support, an increasing number of firms are making commitments 

to achieve their own net-zero targets, by reducing their own emissions, 

emissions associated with supply chains, and the use of their products. 

Firms setting such targets will be expected to demonstrate how net-zero 

emissions goals will be achieved. Carbon credits, purchased voluntarily, enable 

organizations to compensate or neutralize emissions not yet eliminated by 

financing the avoidance/reduction of emissions from other sources, or the 

removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and thus meaningfully 

contribute in the transition to global net-zero. The projects generating these 

carbon credits can be broadly grouped into two categories: i) GHG avoidance/

reduction projects, such as renewable energy or avoided deforestation and 

ii) GHG removal/sequestration projects, such as reforestation or technologybased removal. In addition to climate mitigation, many projects can also 

generate broader environmental, social, and economic benefits, ranging from 

increased biodiversity, job creation, support for local communities, and health 

benefits from avoided pollution. Similarly, credits supporting emerging climate 

technologies can help scale down cost curves, bringing these technologies 

to market earlier and decreasing their ‘green premiums’ against carbonintensive alternatives. Furthermore, as a significant share of potential projects 

are located in the Global South, carbon credits can generate flows of private 

capital to these economies.”

Biomass-based integrated gasification combined cycle with 

post-combustion CO2 recovery by potassium carbonate: Technoeconomic and environmental analysis.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “In this study, a thermodynamic 

model depicting integrated bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) 

system is developed using Aspen Plus under thermodynamic equilibrium for 

the power generation segment, and a rate-based model for the carbon capture 

segment representing CO2 recovery from the exhaust flue of a biomass based 

integrated gasification combined cycle (BIGCC). A thorough techno-economic 

analysis is conducted for the integrated system to evaluate system-wide 

environmental impacts and economic costs. The carbon capture is modeled 

using post combustion technology with chemical absorption by means of 

Piperazine promoted potassium carbonate to absorb the CO2 from the exhaust 

stream of the gas turbine. The results demonstrate that the proposed system 

with 80% carbon capture has negative emissions of -0.31 kg/kWh of CO2-e, 

when assuming neutral emissions from the BIGCC. For a production of 419 

kW of net electricity, the overall energy and exergy efficiencies are 43.8% and 

57.2%, respectively.” Ikhlas Ghiat, Ahmed AlNouss, Gordon McKay, and 

Tareq Al-Ansari, Computers & Chemical Engineering. (Subscription may be 

required.)

Techno-economic analysis for the integration of a power to fuel 

system with a CCS coal power plant.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “In this paper, an analysis 

of the integration of a carbon capture unit and a power to fuel system for 

methanol synthesis with a coal power plant is presented from the energetic, 

environmental and economic standpoints. The study is carried out in three 

different sections. In the first part, the impact of the integration of a carbon 

capture system (CCS) and of a power to fuel plant (PtF) for methanol production 

is investigated in terms of plant average efficiency, fuel consumption, CO2

emissions. In the second part, the annual fixed and variable costs of the 

power plant, and the annual cost of electricity (COE) are assessed for different 

plant configurations. Additionally, future scenarios are analyzed considering 

the impact of European policies on the CO2 emission’s cost, defined by the 

European Emission Trading System (ETS). Finally, an economic feasibility 

analysis of the power to fuel plant is performed and the methanol production is 

evaluated. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis is carried out to evaluate the impact 

of the most affecting parameters (electrical energy cost, the methanol selling 

price and the capital cost of the electrolyzer) in terms of Internal Rate of Return 

(IRR).” D. Bellotti, A. Source, M. Rivarolo, and L. Magistri, Journal of CO2

Utilization. (Subscription may be required.)

Assessing the viability of soil successive straw biochar amendment 

based on a five-year column trial with six different soils: 

Views from crop production, carbon sequestration and 

net ecosystem economic benefits.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Converting straw to biochar 

(BC) followed by successive application to soil has been increasingly suggested 

as a multi-win approach for soil fertility improvement, carbon (C) sequestration 

and efficient disposal of straw residues in intensive cropping agroecosystems. 

However, different soil types response differently in terms of crop growth and 

non-CO2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions after BC application. Furthermore, 

few studies have comprehensively evaluated the net global warming potential 

(GWP) and net ecosystem economic benefits (NEEB) after long-term BC 

incorporation across representative soil types in China. A five-year outdoor 

column experiment was conducted using three rice-wheat rotated paddy soils 

and three millet-wheat rotated upland soils developed from different parent 

materials. Rice straw BC application rates of 0, 2.25 and 11.3 Mg ha−1 were 

used in each crop season with identical doses of NPK fertilizers. Compared 

with the no BC controls, BC significantly boosted crop growth, enhanced C 

sequestration, and decreased cumulative N2O and CH4 emissions in all six 

soils over five rotation cycles. The response of the upland soils to BC was 

better in terms of crop growth and N2O mitigation, whereas the soil organic 

carbon (SOC) increment and CH4 mitigation were less effective compared 

with the paddy soils. Net GWP decreased 0.6–19 fold after BC application; 

however, given the low trade price of CO2 (0.21 × 103

 CNY Mg−1), only a 
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small contribution was made in terms of C costs to the NEEB. The BC-induced 

NEEB was mainly dependent on grain yield gains and BC costs. These findings 

highlight that widespread adoption of successive straw BC application to 

farmland requires an increase in crop yield and substantial lowering of the 

BC cost regardless of the soil type. From the standpoints of agronomics, 

environment and economics, acid upland soil shows most potential in terms 

of BC application.” Yucui Bi, Siyuan Cai, Yu Wang, Yongqiu Xia, Xu Zhao, 

Shenqiang Wang, and Guangxi Xing, Journal of Environmental Management. 

(Subscription may be required.)

The volatility spillover effect of the European Union (EU) 

carbon financial market.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “This paper modifies the BEKKGARCH model based on the empirical results of the VAR model to analyze the 

dynamic volatility spillover effect between the European Union allowance (EUA) 

and certified emissions reduction (CER) markets during the second and third 

phases of the European Union Emission Trading System (EU ETS). The empirical 

results show that (1) an asymmetric volatility spillover effect exists between 

the EUA and CER markets and that the EUA market has a more significant 

volatility spillover effect on the CER market, and (2) the volatility spillover effect 

between the EUA and CER becomes weaker in phase III since the European 

Commission has limited the substitution of CER for EUA more strictly and the 

global carbon reduction requirements have become less demanding. [The 

authors’] study can help investors and managers of carbon market to have a 

more comprehensive understanding of the information and risk transmission 

mechanism between the EUA and CER markets, thus, providing them with a 

basis to make investment decisions and formulate policies.” Shihong Zeng, 

Jingmin Jia, Bin Su, Chunxia Jiang, and Guowang Zeng, Journal of Cleaner 

Production. (Subscription may be required.)

Investigating the competitiveness of Carbon Capture and Storage 

in Italian power plants under different investment scenarios.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “This paper explores the 

viability of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) in Italy by examining two 

different scenarios. The first scenario evaluates the investments on traditional 

power generation technologies, i.e. USC (Ultra Super Critical), NGCC (Natural 

Gas Combined Cycle) and IGCC (Integrated Gas Combined Cycle), with and 

without CCS, and on wind farms; the second scenario studies the convenience 

of retrofitting existing Italian power plants with respect to the construction of 

new capture-ready plants. To the scope, a techno-economic analysis based on 

the calculation of the LCOE (Levelised Cost Of Electricity), the CCAV (cost of 

CO2 avoided) and the CCAP (cost of CO2 captured) is assessed. Beyond these 

measures, the analysis in both scenarios accounts for the calculation of the 

so-called LACE (Levelised Avoided Cost of Electricity) in order to evaluate the 

profitability of CCS systems and, therefore, to properly orient CCS investment 

decision in Italy.” Alberto Fichera and Rosaria Volpe, International Journal of 

Greenhouse Gas Control. (Subscription may be required.)

Technology readiness assessment of ultra-deep salt caverns 

for carbon capture and storage in Brazil.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “This article presents a 

Technology Readiness Assessment (TRA) of a new concept called the Salt 

Cavern Hybrid Subsea Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) System, which 

performs all the offshore natural gas and CO2 separation process with 

subsequent storage in offshore underground salt caverns. Currently there is a 

demand for CCS of large quantities of CO2 associated with CH4 in the pre-salt 

offshore oil fields in Brazil. The pre-salt reservoirs have as caprock 2000 m of 

continuous rock salt. This hybrid system is expected to perform, at the same 

time, the separation between the natural gas and CO2, and Carbon Capture 

and Storage of CO2, allowing the monetization of the separated natural gas. 

The Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) approach is discussed in this paper for 

estimating the maturity of the CCS System. The TRL analysis concluded that 

no technological gaps were identified that would made the project unfeasible 

and the TRL level enables the project to advance to the field test stage within a 

reasonably short time horizon. Once implemented it could be one of the largest 

CCS projects in the world. Also, this paper describes the conceptual design of 

this hybrid system and presents the results of a TRA showing the methodology 

that was employed in the process, the technology critical items that were 

analyzed and the results obtained for each of them and the design of a salt 

cavern for the storage of 1 billion Sm3 (Standard cubic meter) of a natural 

gas stream with high CO2 content.” Mariana Barbero Ribeiro Goulart, Pedro 

Vassalo Maia da Costa, Alvaro Maia da Costa, Antonio C.O. Miranda, 

Andre Bergsten Mendes, Nelson F.F. Ebecken, Julio R. Meneghini, Kazuo 

Nishimoto, and Gustavo R.S. Assi, International Journal of Greenhouse Gas 

Control. (Subscription may be required.)

Towards a clean environment: The potential application of ecofriendly magnesia-silicate cement in CO2 sequestration.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “The key point of this study is the 

fabrication of magnesia-based cement with promising mechanical properties 

and high efficiency of CO2-capture. The naturally occurring volcanic ashes 

(white & red ashes) and reactive magnesium oxide are the main materials used 

in the synthesis of eco-friendly CO2-capture materials. Volcanic ashes were 

individually mixed with reactive magnesium oxide at ash to magnesium oxide 

ratio of 25:75 wt %. The dry blends can react with water to yield hardened 

materials (at ambient temperature) with compressive strength depends on the 

type of volcanic ash. A considerable change in the features of the hardened 

samples was recorded when the fabricated materials exposed to 100% CO2

gas for 28-days. This change is mainly due to CO2-capture by magnesium 

hydroxide Mg(OH)2 within the fabricated materials, resulting in the formation of 

Nesquehonite minerals MgCO3.3H2O as proved by X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric, and infra-red instrumental techniques. The thermo-gravimetric 

analysis demonstrates that, the fabricated sample containing low amorphous 

red ashes has higher CO2-capture capacity (~260 kg/ton) compared to that 

having high amorphous white volcanic ashes (~220 kg/ton) at 28-days of CO2-

exposure. Accordingly, the fabricated magnesia-based cement is not only used 

as cementitious material with outstanding mechanical properties, but also 

used as a super CO2-absorbent precursor. This can strongly contribute in the 

mitigation of global warming potential caused by different industrial activities.” 

Hamdy A. Abdel-Gawwad, Hassan Soltan Hassan, S.R. Vásquez-García, 

Isabel Israde-Alcántara, Yung-Chin Ding, Marco Antonio Martinez-Cinco, 

S. Abd El-Aleem, Hesham M. Khater, Taher A. Tawfik, and Ibrahim M. ElKattan, Journal of Cleaner Production. (Subscription may be required.)

Anthropogenic alteration of nutrient supply increases 

the global freshwater carbon sink.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Lakes have a disproportionate 

effect on the global carbon (C) cycle relative to their area, mediating C transfer 

from land to atmosphere, and burying organic-C in their sediments. The 

magnitude and temporal variability of C burial is, however, poorly constrained, 

and the degree to which humans have influenced lake C cycling through 

landscape alteration has not been systematically assessed. Here, [the authors] 

report global and biome specific trajectories of lake C sequestration based 

on 516 lakes and show that some lake C burial rates (i.e., those in tropical 

forest and grassland biomes) have quadrupled over the last 100 years. Global 

lake C-sequestration (~0.12 Pg year−1) has increased by ~72 Tg year−1 

since 1900, offsetting 20% of annual CO2 freshwater emissions rising to 

~30% if reservoirs are included and contributing to the residual continental 

C sink. Nutrient availability explains ~70% of the observed increase, while 

rising temperatures have a minimal effect.” N.J. Anderson, A.J. Heathcote, 

D.R. Engstrom, and Globocarb data contributors, Science Advances. 

(Subscription may be required.)
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

34

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 PUBLICATIONS

MAY 2021

A Review of International Field Experience with Well Integrity at 

Carbon Utilization and Storage Sites.

The following is the description of this DOE-funded report: “This report details 

findings from a survey of well integrity experiences elicited from operators of 

geologic carbon storage (GCS) and carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery (CO2-

EOR) sites around the world. The survey consisted of 41 questions organized 

in four sections and its goal was to obtain information about site characteristics 

and operator experiences with well integrity, monitoring methods, and risk 

assessment of legacy wells. Current literature relevant to the survey questions 

was also reviewed and summarized to provide context for survey responses 

and identify areas where field experiences with well integrity do and do not 

align with the current state of research.”

Geochemical Variation of Produced Waters and Overlying 

Groundwaters at an Active CO2 Enhanced Oil Recovery Field in the 

Permian Basin Central Platform.

The following is a description of this DOE-funded report: “This report discusses 

the results of baseline geochemical data from a carbon dioxide (CO2) enhanced 

oil recovery (EOR) field in the Permian Basin’s Central Basin Platform. This 

report focuses on understanding the variability in geochemistry during normal 

oil field practices, including the transition from water flooding to a wateralternating-gas (WAG) technique. The primary objectives of this study were to 

focus on 1) determining the best general geochemical parameters to identify 

produced water intrusion into overlying groundwaters, 2) observing if there 

was any intrusion during the sampling period, and 3) identifying changes in 

produced water following CO2 injection.”

Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage Game Changers in Asia: 

2020 Compendium of Technologies and Enablers.

The following is from the Overview of this Asian Development Bank publication: 

“This compendium deals with four interesting carbon dioxide capture 

technologies, five carbon dioxide utilization technologies, one utilization 

storage technology, and one enabler concept. The technologies presented 

are in various stages, ranging from research and development to commercial 

deployment. The enabler concept introduced in this compendium is an initiative 

to accelerate collaboration and deployment of CCUS. The technologies and 

enablers included in this compendium were furnished by CCUS technology 

providers and enablers through their responses to an e-mail questionnaire 

prepared by the consultant team of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) through 

regional technical assistance, Integrated High Impact Innovation in Sustainable 

Energy Technology (Subproject 2): Prefeasibility Analysis for Carbon Capture, 

Utilization, and Storage. ADB would like to clarify that the compendium is not 

exhaustive. Other ideas are available and may also be added to this but—

because of time constraints—they are not added here. ADB looks forward to 

other opportunities to add to this collection of ideas on CCUS, which could help 

ADB developing member countries achieve low-carbon growth.” (Purchase 

may be required.)

Carbon Capture and Storage Market to Make Great Impact in 

Forecast Period 2021-2026.

The following is from a description of this document: “This study is a perfect 

blend of qualitative and quantifiable information highlighting key market 

developments, industry and competitors’ challenges in gap analysis, and new 

opportunities and maybe trending in the Global Carbon Capture and Storage 

Market. This report encloses a comprehensive analysis of the market and is 

assessed through volume and value data validated on approaches including 

top companies’ revenues. It concludes with precise and authentic market 

estimations considering all the parameters and market dynamics. Every 

crucial and decisive detail for the development and restriction of the market 

is mentioned in fine points with solutions and suggestions that may affect the 

market in near future. Segmentation of the market is studied specifically to 

give profound knowledge for supplementary market investments. Competition 

intensity of the global Carbon Capture and Storage Market is also an integral 

report section that allows readers and manufacturers to gauge into the 

stiffening competition augmented by novice entrants, besides other versatile 

market veterans peaking competition with their unique business delivery 

models, growth strategies, regional investments, as well as technological 

milestones and pipeline projects. All profiled market participants have been 

subject to tremendous assessment based on advanced evaluation techniques, 

aligning with the report objective of the unbiased evaluation... Global Carbon 

Capture and Storage market also specifically underpins end-use application 

scope and their improvements based on technological developments and 

consumer preferences.” (Purchase may be required.)

Evaluation of multiple time carbon capture and storage network 

with capital-carbon trade-off.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “The carbon dioxide emission 

from the industrial sector and the power plant contribute significantly to 

global climate change for several decades. The carbon capture and storage 

technology is the primary solution to reach the reduction target of carbon 

dioxide emissions. The carbon capture and storage activities involve CO2

capturing, transporting, and storing in geological storage, requires number 

planning. The process integration approach by pinch analysis method can be 

used for the carbon capture and storage planning problem and to develop the 

carbon capture and storage network design. However, the applicability of the 

method needs to be evaluated when some constraints in carbon capture and 

storage network design are applied. This paper proposes an improved pinch 

analysis based method for carbon capture and storage target and network 

design. The method begins with targeting the maximum carbon exchange 

in the carbon capture and storage system, which is followed by designing 

the carbon capture and storage network. Next, the capital-carbon trade-off 

is introduced as a new strategy for assessing carbon capture and storage 

network design to show the economic feasibility of the design. Four case 

studies demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method to the carbon 

capture and storage systems in the central and western part of Indonesia. 

The application of this new strategy in the western part of Indonesia as a 

single region system revealed that the flat minimum of the total annual cost 

is obtained at a five year time difference with the amount of up to US$ 149.3 

million.” Annasit Mualim, Hairul Huda, Ali Altway, Juwari Purwo Sutikno, 

and Renanto Handogo, Journal of Cleaner Production. (Subscription may be 

required.)

The effects of renewable energy, spatial spillover of CO2 emissions 

and economic freedom on CO2 emissions in the EU.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Renewable energy is a variable 

influencing CO2 emission. Previous studies investigated its effects on CO2

emission in the European Union (EU) countries using classical econometrics 

method. However, if there was a spatial dependence between CO2 emissions 

of the EU countries, the results of previous studies may have been biased. 

Another gap in the literature is nonlinear effects of economic freedom on CO2

emissions. To fill these gaps, the present study explored the aforementioned 

issues in the framework of environmental Kuznets curve in the EU countries 

for period 2000 to 2017 using a spatial dynamic panel data model. The results 

showed that the renewable energy consumption had a negative effect on CO2

emissions, and the relationship between economic freedom and CO2 emissions 

was U-shaped. Finally, a significant positive spatial lag coefficient was found 

for CO2 emissions, indicating that the CO2 emissions of a country were 

positively correlated with those of its neighbors.” Rouhollah Shahnazi and 

Zahra Dehghan Shabani, Renewable Energy. (Subscription may be required.)

Effect of nanofluid on CO2-wettability reversal of sandstone 

formation; implications for CO2 geo-storage.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Hypothesis—Nanofluid 

treatment is a promising technique which can be used for wettability reversal 

of CO2-brine-mineral systems towards a further favourable less CO2-wet state 

in the existence of organic acids. However, literature requires more information 

and study with respect to organic acids and nanoparticles’ effect at reservoir 

(high pressure and high temperature) conditions. Experiments—Therefore, 

[the authors] have measured in this study that what influence small amounts 
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

35

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 PUBLICATIONS

of organic acids exposed to quartz for aging time of (7 days and 1 year) have 

on their wettability and how this impact can be reduced by using different 

concentrations of nanoparticles at reservoir conditions. Precisely, [the authors] 

have tested lignoceric acid (C24), stearic acid (C18), lauric acid (C12) and 

hexanoic acid (C6) at 10−2 Molarity, as well as, [the authors] have also used 

different concentrations (0.75 wt%, 0.25 wt%, 0.1 wt%, 0.05 wt%) of silica 

nanoparticles at realistic storage conditions. Findings—The quartz surface 

turned significantly hydrophobic when exposed to organic acids for longer 

aging time of 1 year, and significantly hydrophilic after nanofluid treatment at 

optimum concentration of 0.1 wt%. It was observed that most nanoparticles 

were mechanistically irreversibly adsorbed on the surface of quartz sample. 

This wettability shift thus may increase CO2 storage capacities and containment 

security.” Muhammad Ali, Muhammad Faraz Sahito, Nilesh Kumar Jha, 

Zain-Ul-Abedin Arain, Shoaib Memon, Alireza Keshavarz, Stefan Iglauer, 

Ali Saeedi, and Mohammad Sarmadivaleh, Journal of Colloid and Interface 

Science. (Subscription may be required.)

Life cycle environmental impact assessment of coupled 

underground coal gasification and CO2 capture and storage: 

Alternative end uses for the UCG product gases.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Underground coal gasification 

(UCG) has the potential to provide a source of energy or chemical feedstock 

derived from coal seams, where traditional mining methods are not suitable or 

are uneconomical. This paper presents the life cycle inventory models developed 

for the UCG processes and three alternative syngas utilisation options with and 

without CO2 capture and storage. The paper compares the life cycle carbon 

footprint of two different conventional above ground coal fired power generation 

options with UCG Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle power generation 

with/without CCS for two different lignites and one bituminous coal. One of 

the lignites is then used to compare the life cycle performance of different 

syngas utilisation options: power generation, ammonia production with power 

generation, and methanol production with power generation. It was found that 

the life cycle carbon footprint of conventional above ground coal fired power 

generation is very much dependent on the in-situ methane content of the coal 

used, and methane emissions experienced during mining and accompanying 

upstream processes, whereas the same for UCG-IGCC power depends more 

on the process dependent syngas composition. UCG methanol production 

with associated power and CCS is shown to release more life cycle CO2-eq 

emissions per tonne of lignite consumed than that of UCG ammonia production 

with associated power and CCS and UCG CCGT power generation with CCS. 

Furthermore, when chemicals production from UCG is considered as the main 

objective, the most substantial improvements in comparison to conventional 

methods are associated with UCG ammonia process per tonne of chemical 

produced.” Anna Korre, Sevket Durucan, and Zhenggang Nie, International 

Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control. (Subscription may be required.)

The impact of the global stock and energy market on EU ETS: A 

structural equation modelling approach.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “The industrial revolution has 

brought about great development in the economy, but it has also increased the 

dependence on fossil energy. The emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases 

have contradicted economic development and the ecological environment. 

The establishment of the EU Emission Trading System (EU ETS) has improved 

the global carbon emission price mechanism, but as a new commodity, its 

price trend will affect buyers’ risk evaluation. Therefore, it is influential to 

master the driving factors behind carbon emission prices and make effective 

predictions. First, the paper points out that the driving factors are divided into 

macroeconomic risk factors and energy factors. Second, the Bayesian Network 

is used to select variables and make prediction of carbon prices. The results 

show that its accuracy exceeds other machine learning algorithms. Third, a 

structural equation model is used to study the impact of the selected markets 

on the carbon market. Finally, from the perspective of global carbon emission 

reduction, the relationship between driving factors and the carbon futures 

market is explained. The empirical results show that Cotation Assistée en 

Continu 40, natural gas and Brent crude oil will directly affect the yield of 

European Union Allowances and Certified Emission Reduction futures, and the 

Standard Poor 500 and Global Clean Energy Index will indirectly affect the yield 

of European Union Allowances and Certified Emission Reduction futures. The 

energy market will affect the carbon market through the intermediary effect of 

the stock market, in which the clean energy index is the most relevant factor. 

From the perspective of how to improve the carbon trading system, this paper 

proposes suggestions for the sustainable development of the world to promote 

the virtuous cycle of the global carbon emission market and the high-quality 

development of the global economy.” Zi-Jie Wang and Lu-Tao Zhao, Journal 

of Cleaner Production. (Subscription may be required.)

Structural controls on the location and distribution of CO2 emission 

at a natural CO2 spring in Daylesford, Australia.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Secure storage of CO2 is 

imperative for carbon capture and storage technology, and relies on a thorough 

understanding of the mechanisms of CO2 retention and leakage. Observations 

at CO2 seeps around the world find that geological structures at a local and 

regional scale control the location, distribution and style of CO2 emission. 

Bedrock-hosted natural CO2 seepage is found in the Daylesford region in 

Victoria, Australia, where many natural springs contain high concentrations 

of dissolved CO2. Within a few meters of the natural Tipperary Mineral Spring, 

small CO2 bubble streams are emitted from bedrock into an ephemeral creek. 

[The authors] examine the relationship between structures in the exposed 

adjacent outcropping rocks and characteristics of CO2 gas leakage in the 

stream, including CO2 flux and the distribution of gas emissions. [The authors] 

find that degassing is clustered within  ̃1m of a shale-sandstone geological 

contact. CO2 emission points are localised along bedding and fracture 

planes, and concentrated where these features intersect. The bubble streams 

were intermittent, which posed difficulties in quantifying total emitted CO2. 

Counterintuitively, the number of bubble streams and CO2 flux was greatest 

from shale dominated rather than the sandstone dominated features, which 

forms the regional aquifer. Shallow processes must be increasing the shale 

permeability, thus influencing the CO2 flow pathway and emission locations. 

CO2 seepage is not limited to the pool; leakage was detected in subaerial 

rock exposures, at the intersection of bedding and orthogonal fractures. These 

insights show the range of spatial scales of the geological features that control 

CO2 flow. Microscale features and near surface processes can have significant 

effect on the style and location and rates of CO2 leakage. The intermittency of 

the bubble streams highlights challenges around characterising and monitoring 

CO2 stores where seepage is spatially and temporally variable. CCS monitoring 

programmes must therefore be informed by understanding of shallow crustal 

processes and not simply the processes and pathways governing CO2 fluid 

flow at depth. Understanding how the CO2 fluids leaked by deep pathways 

might be affected by shallow processes will inform the design of appropriate 

monitoring tools and monitoring locations.” Jennifer J. Roberts, Aero 

Leplastrier, Andrew J. Feitz, Zoe K. Shipton, Andrew F. Bell, and Rūta 

Karolytė, International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control. (Subscription may 

be required.)

JUNE 2021

A Survey of U.S. CO2 Enhanced Oil Recovery Projects.

The following is description of this Advanced Resources International survey: 

“The purpose of this survey is to provide a comprehensive status report of 

active CO2 EOR projects in the U.S., as of end-of-year 2019. This survey 

provides the first update of CO2 EOR project data since the final publication 

of the Oil & Gas Journal (OGJ) EOR Survey in 2014. The 2019 U.S CO2 EOR 

survey shows that incremental oil recovery from CO2 EOR in the U.S. has held 

steady at approximately 300,000 barrels of oil per day. A total of 3.0 Bcf per 

day of CO2 is purchased for CO2 EOR, including 1.0 Bcf per day from ‘industrial’ 

sources, which represents an increase of 30% over the last seven years. 

Carbon management, in the form of CO2 capture and storage, is the most 

viable pathway to meeting significant carbon emission reduction targets over 

the next several decades. This survey demonstrates the value and potential of 

CO2 EOR to the overall carbon management strategy in the U.S.”
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

36

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 PUBLICATIONS

Financing CCS in Developing Countries.

The following is a description of this Global CCS Institute publication: “For CCS 

to fulfill its potential in reducing significant global emissions, this technology 

must be deployed in all parts of the world. Yet there are currently very few CCS 

projects in developing countries. This report was commissioned by ClearPath 

and Southern Company to examine the role of climate finance in supporting 

CCS project development in developing countries. It investigates: The support 

afforded to existing CCS facilities; Reasons for the lack of deployment in 

developing countries; How to overcome CCS investment risks; and Relevant 

global climate finance mechanisms to support the deployment of more facilities. 

It was found that while there is a very high need for CCS in several developing 

countries, their level of readiness for CCS deployment is low. Climate finance 

has an important role to play in both, improving their level of readiness as well 

as closing the funding gap in developing CCS projects.”

Application of three-dimensional fault stress models for 

assessment of fault stability for CO2 storage sites.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Carbon Capture and Storage 

(CCS) is a key technology for a low-carbon energy future and will have an 

important role on the economic future of the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS). 

The East Irish Sea Basin (EISB) is a prospective area for CCS in the western 

UKCS. 3D seismic from the EISB were used in this study to characterise 

the fault network and potential fault reactivation risks associated with CO2

injection. Two main structural domains are present: a Northern domain with 

NW-SE faults, and a Southern domain with faults following a N-S orientation. 

The main storage sites consist of structural closures in Triassic strata of the 

Sherwood Sandstone Formation (SSF), overlain by alternations of mudstones 

and evaporites of the Triassic Mercia Mudstone Group (MMG). The closures 

occur predominantly at fault-bounded horsts, with adjacent grabens filled 

by thick sequences of the Triassic Mercia Mudstone Group (MMG). The 

fault framework was used to test, in 3D, the stress model published for the 

EISB and assess the fault reactivation risk associated with CO2 storage. Slip 

tendency values were predominantly below 0.6, suggesting the presence of 

stable structures in the EISB. Under the tested conditions, faults are capable 

of withstanding pressure increases between 3 MPa and 10 MPa before the 

onset of slip. The limited fault reactivation risk suggests CCS operations are 

suitable prospects for the EISB. This work demonstrates the additional value 

gained from integration of accurately constrained fault geometries in 3D stress 

models.” Davide Gamboa, John D.O. Williams, Michelle Bentham, David I. 

Schofield, and Andrew C. Mitchell, International Journal of Greenhouse Gas 

Control. (Subscription may be required.)

Utilization of CO2 to reduce environmental impact of diluted bitumen 

transportation and improve economics of CCS operations.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Environmental impact and 

economics of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and bitumen transportation are among the 

major challenges of oil sands operations. [The authors] propose and assess 

a new approach to address these important challenges by using diluted 

bitumen (DilBit) as a carrier for large-scale CO2 transportation. The proposed 

approach provides a unique prospect to significantly reduce the cost of CO2

transportation from the carbon capture and storage (CCS) value chain, facilitate 

more efficient detection of DilBit spills from pipelines, utilize CO2, and improve 

public perception of both oil sands and CCS operations. These opportunities 

will offer the possibility of sustaining access to oil resources while reducing 

environmental impact and improving the economics of CCS and oil sands 

operations. Through experimental measurements, [the authors] have shown 

that 80–200 kg of CO2 per m3 of DilBit can be dissolved and transported. [The 

authors] also report simulation results from the simultaneous transportation 

of DilBit and CO2 and DilBit spill detection through monitoring concentration 

of leaked CO2.” Ali Zirahi, Ali Haddadnia, Mohammadjavad Mohammadi, 

Bahareh Azinfar, Mohsen Zirrahi, Hassan Hassanzadeh, and Jalal Abedi,

International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control. (Subscription may be 

required.)

Effects of grazing management on spatio-temporal heterogeneity 

of soil carbon and greenhouse gas emissions of grasslands and 

rangelands: Monitoring, assessment and scaling-up.

The following is the from the abstract of this article: “Grazing lands provide 

many goods and ecosystem services, such as forage, livestock, soil carbon 

(C) storage, biodiversity, and recreational opportunities. Ensuring the long-term 

sustainability of grazing lands requires optimal management to simultaneously 

balance livestock productivity for sustaining human food and nutritional 

demands while reducing environmental impacts, such as greenhouse gases 

(GHG) emissions and soil degradation. In this paper, [the authors] revisit grazing 

management in grazing lands exposed to different grazing systems [...] review 

parameterization and multi-faceted goals for sustainability of grazing systems 

considering broader sustainability from economic to environmental aspects 

[...] discuss the inconsistencies between grazing researchers and ranchers’ 

practices [...] review the separate experimental data to examine the impacts 

of multi-paddock rotational grazing on soil carbon, nutrient and GHGs [and] 

present status and upcoming challenges in monitoring and upscaling of 

grazing ecosystem research and management. In [this paper], new concepts 

of multiple source monitoring networks are presented that enable the analysis 

of scale-dependent processes. Finally, [this paper points] out future directions 

for monitoring and assessment of managing soil C and GHG emissions from 

grazing lands. The results show that the inconsistences are essentially due 

to (1) effects of spatiotemporal scales on both economic and ecological 

outcomes, and (2) simplistic representations of multi-faceted grazing systems 

and sustainability. The development of multi-faceted monitoring systems 

needs to be further parametrized and standardized to make consistent for 

meaningful and comparable assessment of grazing management impacts on 

SOC and GHGs.” Junye Wang, Yumei Li, Edward W. Bork, Goetz M. Richter, 

Changchun Chen, Syed Hamid Hussain Shah, and Symon Mezbahuddin,

Journal of Cleaner Production. (Subscription may be required.)

Impacts of wetland dieback on carbon dynamics: A comparison 

between intact and degraded mangroves.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Mangroves are effective blue 

carbon sinks and are the most carbon rich ecosystems on earth. However, 

their areal extent has declined by over one-third in recent decades. Degraded 

mangrove forests result in reduced carbon captured and lead to release of 

stored carbon into the atmosphere by CO2 emission. The aim of this study was 

to assess changes in carbon dynamics in a gradually degrading mangrove 

forest on Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean. Remote sensing techniques were 

applied to estimate the distribution of intact and degraded mangroves. Forest 

structure, sediment carbon storage, sediment CO2 effluxes and dissolved 

organic and inorganic carbon in pore and surface waters across intact and 

degraded parts were assessed. On average intact mangroves showed 31% 

sediment organic carbon in the upper 30 cm compared to 20% in degraded 

mangrove areas. A loss of 1.51 MgCO2 ha−1 yr−1 for degraded sites was 

calculated. Water samples showed a hypersaline environment in the degraded 

mangrove area averaging 93 which may have caused mangrove dieback. 

Sediment CO2 efflux within degraded sites was lower than values from 

other studies where degradation was caused by clearing or cutting, giving 

new insights into carbon dynamics in slowly degrading mangrove systems. 

Results of water samples agreed with previous studies where inorganic 

carbon outwelled from mangroves might enhance ecosystem connectivity by 

potentially buffering ocean acidification locally. Wetlands will be impacted by a 

variety of stressors resulting from a changing climate. Results from this study 

could inform scientists and stakeholders on how combined stresses, such as 

climate change with salinity intrusion may impact mangrove’s blue carbon 

sink potential and highlight the need of future comparative studies of intact 

versus degraded mangrove stands.” D.F. Senger, D.A. Saavedra Hortua, S. 

Engel, M. Schnurawa, N. Moosdorf, and L.G. Gillis, Science of The Total 

Environment. (Subscription may be required.)
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

37

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 PUBLICATIONS

On the theoretical carbon storage and carbon sequestration 

potential of hempcrete.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Hempcrete is a natural 

insulation material that is well known for exhibiting favorable thermal properties 

and low manufacturing emissions. Hempcrete is a biocomposite, consisting of 

hemp shiv and a lime-based binder composed of hydrated lime and either 

a hydraulic (e.g., natural hydraulic lime and ordinary portland cement) or 

pozzolanic binder (e.g., metakaolin). While long-term biogenic carbon storage 

can be achieved via utilization of hemp shiv in hempcrete, additional carbon 

storage can be achieved via carbonation of the binder. This study advances 

previous carbonation modeling approaches by deriving a theoretical model 

based on the fundamentals of cement hydration and carbonation chemistry to 

quantify the total theoretical in situ CO2e sequestration potential of hempcrete 

binders. To estimate the percentage of manufacturing CO2e emissions that can 

be recovered through in situ binder carbonation, the model is implemented 

in life cycle assessments of 36 hempcrete formulations of various binder 

contents and densities using an equivalent functional unit (FU) of a 1 m2 wall 

assembly with a U-value of 0.27 W/(m2K). [The authors’] model estimates 

between 18.5% and 38.4% of initial carbon emissions associated with binder 

production can be sequestered through in situ carbonation. Considering 

biogenic carbon storage, [the authors] predict that the total life cycle CO2e 

emissions of hempcrete can be negative, with a minimum of −16.0 kg CO2e/

FU for the hempcrete mixture formulations considered herein. However, 

[the authors] estimate that some hempcrete formulations can exhibit netpositive emissions, especially high-density mixes (>300 kg/m3) containing 

portland cement, thereby illustrating the importance of materials selection 

and proportioning in designing carbon-storing hempcrete.” Jay H. Arehart, 

William S. Nelson, and Wil V. Srubar III, Journal of Cleaner Production. 

(Subscription may be required.)

Dynamic interactive effect and co-design of SO2 emission tax and 

CO2 emission trading scheme.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “To solve the different 

environmental problems caused by the over-use of fossil fuels, multiple 

environmental policies currently coexist. How these environmental policies 

interact with each other and how to optimise them are a few issues that need 

to be resolved urgently in practice. [The authors] established an environmental 

dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model (E-DSGE) to analyse the dynamic 

interactive effects of the SO2 emission tax and CO2 emission trading in China 

and the optimal design of these two environmental policies. [The authors] have 

calibrated the model based on China’s actual data. The results indicate that 

synergistic emission reduction effects have led to an overlap between the 

two policies, because both SO2 and CO2 emissions share a common root—

fossil fuels. Currently there is no obvious conflict between them. When the 

SO2 emission tax is levied at 12.6 CNY/kg, the CO2 emission cap should be 

lower than 76.1%. Second, the synergistic emission reduction effect between 

CO2 emission trading and the SO2 emission tax can enhance the automatic 

stabilisation function of both. Third, [the authors] suggest to optimise both 

policies pro-cyclically. However, if either of these two policies is ineffective, the 

optimal SO2 emission tax will be counter-rather than pro-cyclical.” Bowen Xiao, 

Ying Fan, and Xiaodan Guo, Energy Policy. (Subscription may be required.)

Assessing the potential of soil carbonation and enhanced 

weathering through Life Cycle Assessment: A case study for Sao 

Paulo State, Brazil.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Enhanced silicate rock 

weathering for long-term carbon dioxide sequestration has considerable 

potential, but depends on the availability of suitable rocks coupled with proximity 

to suitable locations for field application. In this paper, [the authors] investigate 

the established mining industry that extracts basaltic rocks for construction from 

the Paraná Basin, Sao Paulo State, Brazil. Through a Life Cycle Assessment, 

[the authors] determine the balance of carbon dioxide emissions involved 

in the use of this material, the relative contribution of soil carbonation and 

enhanced weathering, and the potential carbon dioxide removal of Sao Paulo 

agricultural land through enhanced weathering of basalt rock. [The authors’] 

results show that enhanced weathering and carbonation respectively emit 

around 75 and 135 kg carbon dioxide equivalent per tonne of carbon dioxide 

equivalent removed (considering a quarry to field distance of 65 km). [The 

authors] underline transportation as the principal process negatively affecting 

the practice and uncover a limiting road travel distance from the quarry to 

the field of 540 ± 65 km for carbonation and 990 ± 116 km for enhanced 

weathering, above which the emissions offset the potential capture. Regarding 

Sao Paulo State, the application of crushed basalt at 1 t/ha to all of the State’s 

12 million hectares of agricultural land could capture around 1.3 to 2.4 Mt 

carbon dioxide equivalent through carbonation and enhanced weathering, 

respectively. This study suggests a lower sequestration estimate than previous 

studies and emphasizes the need to consider all process stages through a 

Life Cycle Assessment methodology, to provide more reliable estimates of 

the sequestration potential of greenhouse gas removal technologies.” David 

Lefebvre, Pietro Goglio, Adrian Williams, David A.C. Manning, Antonio 

Carlos de Azevedo, Magda Bergmann, Jeroen Meersmans, and Pete 

Smith, Journal of Cleaner Production. (Subscription may be required.)

JULY 2021

Developing and validating pressure management 

and plume control strategies.

The following is from the abstract of this DOE/NETL publication: “The U.S. 

Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy (FE) plays a key role 

in advancing transformative and innovative Carbon Capture Utilization and 

Storage (CCUS) technologies. In its efforts to ensure safe and secure storage 

of carbon dioxide (CO2) in a variety of geologic depositional environments, FE 

is investing in the development of systems for reservoir pressure management 

in terms of optimizing storage safety and performance. DOE supports a 

unique set of projects that are exploring brine extraction strategies as an 

approach to manage reservoir pressure and storage efficiency for CO2 storage 

sites that may call for such measures. These Brine Extraction Storage Test 

(BEST) projects have followed a two-phased research approach. Five Phase 

I projects (completed) carried out modeling and other analyses to support 

development of pressure management strategies for potential field projects, 

focusing on five areas/formations representing important potential geologic 

storage opportunities in the United States. The modeling studies showed how 

the reservoir characteristics of the various potential storage formations would 

impact pressure reduction achieved for various injection/extraction scenarios. 

Life cycle analysis (LCA) studies performed by the projects highlighted the 

likelihood of encountering very high total dissolved solids (TDS) brines in 

many saline formation storage projects, as well as the challenges of handling 

these brines. Two projects have advanced to Phase II (ongoing) to validate 

brine extraction strategies through injection/extraction of brine and monitoring 

of differential pressures at active wastewater disposal facilities. Both Phase 

II projects also host facilities for testing emerging enhanced water recovery 

(EWR) technologies.” Andrea McNemar, Larry Myer, Darin Damiani, Mark 

McKoy, and Grant Bromhal, Proceedings of the 15th Greenhouse Gas Control 

Technologies Conference.
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

38

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 PUBLICATIONS

Putting a Price on Carbon: Evaluating A Carbon Price 

and Complementary Policies for a 1.5° World.

The following is from the Executive Summary of this World Resources Institute 

report: “The increasing effects of climate change highlight the need to rapidly 

transform the global economy to achieve the Paris Agreement goals and limit 

global warming this century to well below 2°C, while aiming for 1.5°C. Deeply 

decarbonizing the U.S. energy system by 2050 will require rapidly increasing 

energy efficiency, decarbonizing electricity supply, and electrifying energy 

end uses, including buildings, transportation, and industry. A carbon price is 

needed to incorporate climate change costs into economic decision-making 

to significantly reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, particularly in the 

electricity sector; however, a price is not a silver bullet for addressing climate 

change. Policies and programs that address externalities other than the cost 

of climate change and that provide incentives to develop and deploy long lead 

time mitigation options are needed in addition to a price on carbon so that deep 

emission reductions can be achieved in the longer term. Measures are needed 

to bend the cost curve and remove the market barriers that hinder long-term 

emission reductions. Such measures should be evaluated based on their ability 

to minimize the cost of achieving long-term emission targets rather than on 

their cost in achieving near-term emission reductions.”

Does CCS reduce power generation flexibility? A dynamic study 

of combined cycles with post-combustion CO2 capture.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “To date, the deployment, 

integration, and utilization of intermittent renewable energy sources, such as 

wind and solar power, in the global energy system has been the cornerstone 

of efforts to combat climate change. At the same time, it is recognized that 

renewable power represents only one element of the portfolio of technologies 

that will be required to deliver a technically feasible and financially viable 

energy system. In this context, carbon capture and storage (CCS) is understood 

to play a uniquely important role, providing significant value through flexible 

operation. It is therefore of vital importance that CCS technology can operate 

synergistically with intermittent renewable power sources, and consequently 

ensuring that CCS does not inhibit the flexible and dispatchable nature of 

thermal power plants. This work analyses the intrinsic dynamic performance 

of the power and CO2 capture plants independently and as an integrated 

system. Since the power plant represents the fast dynamics of the system 

and the steam extraction is the main point of integration between the CO2

capture and power plants, disturbances with fast dynamics are imposed on the 

steam extraction valve during steady state and dynamic operation of a natural 

gas combined cycle (NGCC) to study the effects of the integration on power 

generation capacity. The results demonstrate that the integration of liquidabsorbent based post-combustion CO2 capture has negligible impact on the 

power generation dynamics of the NGCC.” Jairo Rúa, Mai Bui, Lars O. Nord, 

and Niall Mac Dowell, International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control. 

(Subscription may be required.)

Deploying gas power with CCS: The role of operational flexibility, 

merit order and the future energy system.

The following is the abstract of this article: “Combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) 

power plants are an important part of many electricity systems. By fitting them 

with carbon capture their CO2 emissions could be virtually eliminated. [The 

authors] evaluate CCGT plants with different variations of post combustion 

capture using amine solvents, covering a range of options, including solvent 

storage, partial capture and shifting the energy penalty in time. The analysis 

is based on the UK electricity system in 2025. The behaviour of individual 

CCGT plants is governed by the plant’s place in the merit order and to a lesser 

extent by CO2 reduction targets for the electricity system. In the UK, CCGT 

plants built from 2016 onwards will emit ~90% of the CO2 emissions of the 

whole CCGT fleet in 2025. The typical ‘base case’ CCGT plant with capture 

is designed to capture 90% of the CO2 emissions and to operate dynamically 

with the power plant. Downsizing the capture facility could be attractive for 

low-merit plants, i.e. plants with high short-run marginal costs. Solvent storage 

enables electricity generation to be decoupled in time from the energy penalty 

associated with carbon capture. Beyond a few minutes of solvent storage, 

substantial tanks would be needed. If solvent storage is to play an important 

role, it will require definitions of ‘capture ready’ to be expanded to ensure 

sufficient land is available.” Matthias A. Schnellmann, Chi Kong Chyong, 

David M. Reiner, and Stuart A. Scott, International Journal of Greenhouse 

Gas Control. (Subscription may be required.)

Is aquatic bioenergy with carbon capture and storage a sustainable 

negative emission technology? Insights from a spatially explicit 

environmental life-cycle assessment.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “It is anticipated that achievement 

of the Paris Climate Agreement goals will require widespread deployment of 

negative emission technologies (NETs). The most prominent NET is bioenergy 

with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), which is typically envisioned to use 

terrestrial crops as feedstock. Several recent studies have focused on aquatic 

BECCS (A-BECCS), making use of microalgae or macroalgae as feedstock, as 

possible means of reducing water and land use. However, the high logistical 

complexity of the A-BECCS supply chain makes it likely that regional biophysical 

and socio-technical factors will strongly influence its overall favorability. 

Therefore, this study applies life-cycle assessment (LCA) incorporating a 

geographic information system (GIS) framework to estimate the environmental 

impacts of A-BECCS over all stages of its life-cycle. Three candidate locations 

in the USA are evaluated based on seemingly good proximity to coastal 

regions and CO2 storage; namely, East Coast, West Coast, and the Gulf of 

Mexico. Monte Carlo simulation is used to characterize distributions of model 

outputs, including energy return on investment (EROI) and net global warming 

potential (GWP). Results reveal that only the Gulf of Mexico configuration has 

any likelihood of achieving both net energy production (probability of EROI > 

1 = 29%) and net CO2 sequestration (probability of GWP < 0 = 6%), but the 

probability of achieving both together is very low (5%). The other two locations 

exhibit net positive energy production (EROI > 1), but not net negative carbon 

sequestration. These results call into question the feasibility of the modeled 

A-BECCS system as an energy-producing NET and offer insights into possible 

system reconfiguration. For example, anaerobic digestion offers very low EROI 

and creates multiple carbon-bearing waste streams, which strongly undercuts 

overall net CO2 sequestration. Finally, it is observed that enhanced oil 

recovery (EOR) strongly contributes to net-energy production (EROI > 1) in the 

modeled A-BECCS system, but also strongly undercuts net CO2 sequestration, 

which is arguably the main goal of any NET. This analysis showcases how 

geographically-explicit analysis can advance our understanding of biomassbased NETs.” A. Jasmin Melara, Udayan Singh, and Lisa M. Colosi, Energy 

Conversion and Management. (Subscription may be required.)

Carbon storage potential of mangrove forests 

from Northeastern Vietnam.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Quantifying the C storage in 

mangrove forests is important to understand their ecological roles in climate 

change mitigation. The present study aims to determine the whole ecosystem 

C storage and to examine factors influencing on the sedimentary C stocks in 

Dong Rui mangrove forests (DRM), northeastern Vietnam. The mean aboveand below-ground C stock was 48.6 ± 11.7 and 554.8 ± 112.2 MgC ha−1, 

respectively. In which, the sediment C pool contributed >80% proportion to 

the C storage. The covarying C/N ratios, δ13 C and sediment compositions 

suggested that sedimentary OC were mainly originated from in situ productions. 

Results emphasized that the DRM has an important role in C sequestration 

and offsetting atmospheric CO2 concentration and should be included in the 

climate change mitigation programs.” Nguyen Tai Tue, Nguyen Dinh Thai, 

and Mai Trong Nhuan, Regional Studies in Marine Science. (Subscription may 

be required.)
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

39

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 PUBLICATIONS

Introducing BECCS through HPC to the research agenda: 

The case of combined heat and power in Stockholm.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “In the years since COP21 

in Paris, awareness of the need for carbon sinks has grown rapidly. However, 

policy instruments supporting a path to this target are still lacking. Bioenergy 

carbon capture and storage (BECCS) may provide a way to rapidly reduce global 

warming. In the Nordics, much of the basic infrastructure for successful BECCS 

implementation is already in place. So why is not more happening? This study 

provides insights to barriers and policy implications in relation to successful 

BECCS implementation. Though implementation could support economic 

growth and welfare development, the cost is relatively high for individual 

utilities. In the deregulated competitive heating market in the case of Stockholm, 

cost transfer to customers is prohibited, effectively impeding implementation. 

Moreover, while present national or EU-based support schemes could cover 

investments, the operating cost is high, so other economic policy approaches 

are required. Lastly, this paper shows that BECCS on combined heat and 

power plants has a potential, but requires much more research. Thus it is 

suggested that negative emission technologies in energy systems are brought 

into research agendas such as the future of combined heat and power and 

urban multi energy systems.” Fabian Levihn, Linus Linde, Kåre Gustafsson, 

and Erik Dahlen, Energy Reports. (Subscription may be required.)

AUGUST 2021

Wyoming CarbonSAFE: Advancing Commercialization of Low-Carbon 

Energy Technologies in Fossil-Rich Wyoming.

The following is from the abstract of this report: “Wyoming’s Powder River 

Basin (PRB) is the most prolific coal producer and exporter in the United States 

and the State of Wyoming’s largest oil-producing basin. In addition to being 

a leading energy producer, the PRB is the site of research programs whose 

aim is to develop and integrate low-carbon technologies into existing fossil 

fuel energy industries. Much of the PRB’s low-carbon research is focused 

around Dry Fork Station (DFS), which is the newest coal-fired power station 

in the western US. Currently, DFS hosts five carbon capture projects, including 

pilot-scale capture projects that utilize different capture technologies and a 

full front-end engineering and design (FEED) study, a commercial CO2 pipeline 

for nearby CO2-enhanced oil recovery industry, and is also co-located with the 

Wyoming Integrated Test Center, which is a host facility for unconventional 

carbon utilization research (i.e. flue gas carbon-to-products innovations). 

DFS is also the host site for the Wyoming CarbonSAFE project. Wyoming 

CarbonSAFE, funded by the Department of Energy/National Energy Technology 

Laboratory, is a multi-phased program (currently in Phase II) whose core 

objective is developing and validating storage sites within a complex capable 

of storing 50 million metric tonnes of CO2 over a 30 year project period using 

carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS). This paper will provide an 

overview of the project to-date, showing that CarbonSAFE goals are achievable 

with respect to geologic, environmental, regulatory, CO2 source and economic 

conditions, and why the State of Wyoming offers one of the more favorable 

environments to advance the commercialization studies.”

Carbon capture, utilization, and storage hub development 

on the Gulf Coast.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “The Gulf Coast of the United 

States hosts diverse power generation, refining, and petrochemical processing 

facilities, resulting in the nation’s largest volumetric concentration of industrial 

CO2 emissions, rivaled only by the Ohio River Valley. These emissions sources 

are concentrated in specific industrial clusters that allow combining emissions 

streams to achieve economies of scale. The region is currently undergoing 

globally significant industrial expansion and investment as a result of abundant 

and inexpensive regional unconventional natural gas availability, and is a 

growing exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Opportunities to integrate 

CO2 emission management within the diverse energy chains in the region are 

volumetrically significant and include both concentrated and dilute sources. 

Significant examples of capture, transport, and storage exist. Offshore storage 

is particularly attractive, as it provides simplified land leasing models (single 

governmental land owner), proven reservoir quality, and presents fewer risks 

to both protected groundwater and populated areas. Projects can now take 

advantage of recently expanded opportunities under section 45Q of the 

Internal Revenue Service tax code. The region continues to evolve as an active 

carbon-handling hub, and is uniquely suited to justify additional investment 

in carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies via a largescale integrated project development. Continued development of integrated 

projects will allow the region to continue to grow economically within its strong 

fossil-fuel handling competence focus while advancing low-carbon energy 

technologies that maintain globally competitiveness.” T.A. Meckel, A.P. Bump, 

S.D. Hovorka, and R.H. Trevino, Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology. 

(Subscription may be required.)

Energy storage system based on transcritical CO2 cycles 

and geological storage.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “The use of CO2 as a working 

fluid in power generation and storage applications has experienced a significant 

boost in recent years, based on its high-performance characteristics in power 

generation or heat pumps. This work proposes a novel combined use of 

transcritical CO2 cycles as an energy storage system and carbon dioxide storage 

inside geological formations. In this work, the layouts for concept integration 

were developed. They were adapted to operate under different scenarios and 

operation modes based on storing energy from renewable sources or storing 

energy to capture CO2. The preliminary results show these cycles as promising 

energy storage technologies, with a high potential to compete in terms of 

electric to electric storage efficiencies (42–56%) and costs (70–120 USD/

MWh). Besides, results show that more than 1 Mton/year of CO2 could be 

additionally stored with this renewable energy storage concept depending on 

the conditions. These results show the opportunity for the concept as an energy 

storage system, with special interest when combined with carbon-intensive 

industries as cement or chemicals.” A. Carro, R. Chacartegui, C. Ortiz, J. 

Carneiro, and J.A. Becerra, Applied Energy Engineering. (Subscription may 

be required.)

An empirical analysis of the non-linear effects of natural gas, 

nuclear energy, renewable energy and ICT-Trade in leading CO2

emitter countries: Policy towards CO2 mitigation and economic 

sustainability.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Achieving reliable energy 

supply and environment sustainability whereby mitigating CO2 emissions 

and promoting sustainable development has become a global effort. Thus, 

the current study intends to verify the non-linear influence effects of natural 

gas, nuclear energy, renewable energy and information and communication 

technology trade on economic growth and carbon dioxide emission in ten 

leading CO2 emitter countries from [2000–2016]. The panel regression, such 

as pooled regression, model fixed effect, random effects, robust least squares 

and panel causation procedures are applied for panel data appraisal. The 

regression analysis results mention that nuclear energy, renewable energy, and 

Information and communication technology (ICT-trade) stimulate economic 

growth, whereas environmental results illustrate that renewable energy and 

ICT-trade contribute to eliminating CO2 emissions. The causality findings 

indicate that renewable energy consumption and ICT trade cause economic 

growth as well as CO2 emissions. Therefore, policymakers should invigorate 

to exploit renewable energy and achieve the benefits from the significant 

influence of economic growth and a clean environment through the potential 

of green ICT-trade.” Anam Azam, Muhammad Rafiq, Muhammad Shafiqu, 

and Jiahai Yuan, Journal of Environmental Management. (Subscription may 

be required.)
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

40

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 PUBLICATIONS

Evaluation of the carbon tax effects on the structure of Finnish 

industries: A computable general equilibrium analysis.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Limitations and environmental 

effects of fossil fuels have encouraged decision-makers to create and 

implement different energy policies, in which carbon tax is one of the most 

important financial policies. Governments are considering the implementation 

of the carbon tax to achieve lower greenhouse gas emission, higher national 

incomes and tax systems, deployments of renewable energy sources, and 

increasing the efficiency of the energy systems. Therefore, understanding 

the effects and consequences of the carbon tax policy on different economic, 

social welfare, and industries is imperative due to its impact on the costs of 

productions, inflation, and competitiveness of the industries. This research is to 

evaluate the impact of the carbon tax on the structure of the Finland industry 

as one of the high energy-intensive consumption countries. [The authors] use 

a computable general equilibrium model to create a connection between the 

effects of the carbon tax and economic indicators, production, and consumption 

sector. In this research, the effect of the carbon tax on the macro-economic 

and industry sector is studied. The results of this research indicate that the 

application of carbon tax policies leads to adverse effects on gross domestic 

production (GDP). By studying the fluctuations of the trade balance, export and 

import level, production price, and energy consumption level in the industry 

sector, considerable results have been achieved. For instance, considering the 

specific coverage of industries in Finland, they have higher competitiveness in 

general.” Mojtaba Khastar, Alireza Aslani, Mehdi Nejati, Kaveh Bekhrad, 

and Marja Naaranoja, Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments. 

(Subscription may be required.)

Authority–enterprise equilibrium based mixed subsidy mechanism 

for carbon reduction and energy utilization in the coalbed methane 

industry.

The following is from the Abstract of this article: “As coalbed methane, the 

natural gas adsorbed in coal seams, is a greenhouse gas that is 21 times 

stronger than CO2, coalbed methane extraction significantly influences carbon 

reduction and energy conservation efforts. While the injection of CO2 into 

coal seams is known to effectively enhance coalbed methane recovery, this 

process has been limited because of high investment and production costs. 

Therefore, to promote the application of CO2 injection techniques in coalbed 

methane industry, this paper proposes an authority–enterprise equilibrium 

based mixed subsidy mechanism which combines direct subsidies with 

indirect tax-incentives. Specifically, a multi-objective bi-level programming 

model is established under uncertainty to assign a practical constraint and 

achieve a trade-off between the local authority and the coalbed methane 

plants. A practical case validates the feasibility and efficiency of the proposed 

method, proving that an authority–enterprise equilibrium based mixed subsidy 

mechanism is able to achieve carbon emissions reductions and conserve 

energy. Further analysis indicated that the marginal energy efficiency gains 

were greater than the authority costs under a strict energy utilization policy 

and that the environmental protection target had larger impacts on the coalbed 

methane plant performances.” Lurong Fan and Jiuping Xu, Energy Policy. 

(Subscription may be required.)

Criteria for selecting sites for integrated CO2 storage and 

geothermal energy recovery.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “One of the currently 

considered methods of reducing carbon dioxide emissions is the simultaneous 

storage of carbon dioxide (CCS) and production of geothermal energy 

accumulated in porous rocks (hydrothermal systems). The exploitation of 

geothermal heat and the storage of carbon dioxide are carried out in rock 

formations containing groundwater and lying at sufficient large depth. The 

selection of sites for combined heat recovery and CCS is a complex issue, 

conditioned by many different criteria [...] The paper proposes the criteria 

for selecting geological structures in aquifer for the simultaneous recovery of 

geothermal energy and the storage of carbon dioxide (main goal). A set of 12 

geological criteria was developed for this purpose. Based on the Analytical 

Hierarchy Process method, the importance of individual criteria was assessed. 

This assessment was made by pairwise comparison based on expert opinion 

of 10 decision makers. On this basis, the influence of individual factors on the 

main goal is estimated and an analysis of the order of occurrence of individual 

criteria in the aggregated ranking is made.” Barbara Uliasz-Misiak, Joanna 

Lewandowska-Śmierzchalska, and Rafał Matuła, Journal of Cleaner 

Production. (Subscription may be required.)

Passive acoustic monitoring of a natural CO2 seep site 

– Implications for carbon capture and storage.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Estimating the range at 

which an acoustic receiver can detect greenhouse gas (e.g., CO2) leakage 

from the sub-seabed is essential for determining whether passive acoustic 

techniques can be an effective environmental monitoring tool above marine 

carbon storage sites. Here [the authors] report results from a shallow water 

experiment completed offshore the island of Panarea, Sicily, at a natural CO2

vent site, where the ability of passive acoustics to detect and quantify gas flux 

was determined at different distances. Cross-correlation methods determined 

the time of arrival for different travel paths which were confirmed by acoustic 

modelling. [The authors] develop an approach to quantify vent bubble size and 

gas flux. Inversion of the acoustic data was completed using the modelled 

impulse response to provide equivalent propagation ranges rather than 

physical ranges. The results show that [the authors’] approach is capable of 

detecting a CO2 bubble plume with a gas flux rate of 2.3 L/min at ranges of 

up to 8 m, and determining gas flux and bubble size accurately at ranges of 

up to 4 m in shallow water, where the bubble sound pressure is 10 dB above 

that of the ambient noise.” Jianghui Li, Ben Roche, Jonathan M. Bull, Paul 

R. White, John W. Davis, Michele Deponte, Emiliano Gordini, and Diego 

Cotterle, International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control. (Subscription may 

be required.)

Development and surrogate-based calibration 

of a CO2 reservoir model.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Simulation-optimization 

framework is a widely used approach for numerical model calibrations, though 

its primary difficulty is its high-demand of computational efforts. In this study, 

Bagging MARS (BMARS) adapted from Multivariate Adaptive Regression 

Splines (MARS) algorithm, is used to construct the surrogate of a threedimensional CO2 reservoir model, which is developed to simulate CO2 injection 

and migration in a fault-compartmentalized underground reservoir. The 

BMARS surrogate model is then used in model calibration to estimate specified 

reservoir model input parameters efficiently. The results demonstrate that the 

BMARS model can improve fitting stability and predictive accuracy against 

the ordinary MARS model. Parameter sensitivity analysis, which is efficiently 

conducted using the BMARS model, suggest that permeability of Fault#10 

and caprock dominate the pressure buildup in this fault-compartmentalized 

reservoir. Hence priority should be given to investment in estimating these 

two reservoir properties. Overpressure propagation and CO2 migration in the 

reservoir responding to three years of CO2 injection are also analyzed using 

the calibrated model. The calibrated water-CO2 flow model could be a useful 

tool to evaluate the future operation and risk assessment of the reservoir. 

The results comparison and sensitivity analysis demonstrated the proposed 

BMARS-based simulation–optimization framework is an efficient and accurate 

model calibration approach.” Mingjie Chen, Osman A. Abdalla, Azizallah 

Izady, Mohammad Reza Nikoo, and Ali Al-Maktoumi, Journal of Hydrology. 

(Subscription may be required.) 
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

41

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 PUBLICATIONS

SEPTEMBER 2021

Supply Chain Excellence for CCUS.

The following is from the Executive Summary of this Carbon Capture and 

Storage Association (CCSA) document: “The CCSA estimates that expenditure 

on Net Zero CCUS (including hydrogen and greenhouse gas removals) projects 

could reach c.£41bn by 2035. Investment and ongoing expenditure of this size 

will deliver a huge boost to the economies of the industrial clusters on which 

most of these projects will be built. This report demonstrates that not only will 

CCUS be vital for achieving the UK’s Net Zero goal, but also the significant role 

CCUS will play in boosting the UK’s prosperity and delivering the government’s 

levelling-up agenda by supporting jobs and growth in the UK’s industrial 

heartlands. [The authors] set out recommendations to maximise this impact by 

developing supply chain strategies to deliver long-term benefit to the UK and 

its domestic projects, and to ramp up the export opportunities created though 

international deployment of CCUS. A successful Net Zero rollout will involve 

intensive project work all the way through to 2050 – a long-term prospect 

for industry. Current onshore major energy projects in the UK are themselves 

targeting a 50–60% UK content and offshore projects in the North Sea are 

targeting a 30% UK technology spend. If these levels of UK content persist, half 

of the estimated project expenditure could be spent outside the UK. A focused 

and effective approach to supporting UK supply chains could displace imports 

and capture a larger portion of the growth opportunity, providing domestic jobs 

and business, as well as securing export opportunities for the UK as other 

countries seek to develop CCUS.”

Engineered greenhouse gas removals.

The following is from the Executive Summary of this UK National Infrastructure 

Commission document: “Engineered greenhouse gas removals capture carbon 

dioxide directly from the atmosphere and permanently store it. They will 

become a major new infrastructure sector for the UK over the coming decades, 

helping the UK meet its climate targets in the 2030s and beyond by offsetting 

residual emissions. Government needs to make a clear commitment to deploy 

engineered removals at scale no later than 2030. In total this commitment to 

the first engineered removals plants should deliver 5-10 MtCO2e of removals 

a year no later than 2030. The biggest barrier to deploying engineered 

removals is a lack of demand for negative emissions. There are currently no 

obligations on some of the UK’s most carbon intensive industries to reduce 

their emissions. Government has set ambitious targets to reduce the UK’s 

emissions to net zero. Given some sectors are hard to abate fully, this will not 

be possible without engineered removals. Engineered removals are expensive, 

although the costs will be phased in over time. By 2030, revenues of around 

£2 billion per year could be required to support a sector capable of delivering 

the necessary engineered removals. Polluting industries, not taxpayers, should 

bear these costs. But government should support the initial deployment of a 

portfolio of engineered removals, and, in time, the transition to a competitive 

market, which will be the most efficient solution. This new sector will need to 

be independently monitored to provide confidence to the public and investors. 

Government, regulators and infrastructure operators will need to plan for the 

enabling infrastructure, including carbon transport and storage networks. All 

this needs to happen alongside, not instead of, action to reduce and prevent 

emissions.” 

Improving the Business Case for CCS in the Electric 

Power Generation Industry.

The following is from the abstract of this paper: “Supporting new, high 

impact energy and environmentally friendly initiatives has been a regular and 

important component of US tax policy. A production tax credit (PTC) of up to 

2.3 cents per kWh (now reduced) was available for electricity generated by 

wind. Solar photovoltaic projects receive a 30% investment tax credit (ITC). 

These tax credits, along with state-level renewable performance standards, 

have significantly increased investments in renewables and supported their 

growth in the electricity generation sector. A similar opportunity now exists for 

supporting accelerated installation of large-scale Carbon Capture and Storage 

(CCS) in the US electric power generation industry. Section 45Q of the US tax 

code represents a first, but still insufficient, step for covering the costs of using 

CCS with electric power generation. It provides a $50 per metric ton (mt) tax 

credit for captured CO2 stored in geological formations and a $35 per mt tax 

credit for captured CO2 used and stored with enhanced oil recovery. However, 

the 45Q tax credits contain limitations, including-- a rapidly approaching 

“commence construction” deadline, limited years for claiming the tax credit, a 

tax credit level insufficient for economically viable installation of CCS by natural 

gas-fueled power plants, and little support for first-of-a-kind (FOAK), higher CO2

capture rate facilities. In a previous paper (Esposito, et al., 2019), the authors 

illustrated the basic arithmetic for assessing the economic viability of CCS in 

the electric power generation industry with availability of the Section 45Q tax 

credits, including an extensive look at the business case for installing CCS by 

coal-fueled power plants. This paper discusses a series of modifications to 

the Section 45Q tax credit, as well as additional steps, that would improve the 

business case for installing CCS on natural gas-fueled power plants.” Richard 

Esposito, Vello Kuuskraa, Charles Rossmann, and Michele M. Corser, 

Proceedings of the 15th Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies Conference 15-

18 March 2021. (Subscription may be required.)

A Computationally Efficient Method for Field-Scale Reservoir 

Simulation of CCS in Basalt Formations.

The following is from the abstract of this paper: “Unlike sedimentary formations, 

flood basalts have the potential for relatively rapid mineral trapping when used 

as an injection target for CO2 storage. While CO2 storage in basalt and its 

underlying geochemistry have been studied in various ways, including two 

successful small-scale pilot projects, there are still open questions surrounding 

the viability of large-scale CO2 storage in basalt, including how the properties 

of the target formation will be altered after decades of geochemical activity. 

Field-scale numerical models can play a part in answering these questions. In 

this work, [the authors] present an overview and initial results of [their] recent 

development of a flexible, computationally efficient reactive transport model 

for CO2 mineral trapping in basalt. The model combines a fully customizable 

geochemistry solver with a vertically integrated description of two-phase flow 

in porous media. It provides a platform for extensive field-scale numerical 

modeling studies of large-scale CO2 storage in basalt, which in turn can 

help address some of the current barriers to its implementation in the field.” 

Tom Postma, Karl W. Bandilla, and Michael Celia, Proceedings of the 

15th Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies Conference 15-18 March 2021. 

(Subscription may be required.)

Storage Readiness Levels: communicating the maturity of site 

technical understanding, permitting and planning needed for 

storage operations using CO2.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “A framework of Storage 

Readiness Levels (SRLs) is presented to communicate the entirety of technical 

appraisal, permitting and planning activities achieved at a potential CO2

storage site and what remains to be completed for CO2 storage operations. 

The schema, based on learning gained from the experience of researchers, 

regulators and industry from the 1990s, is described and assessed by 

application to 742 saline formation and hydrocarbon field sites, offshore the 

UK, Norway and The Netherlands. The framework is flexible to accommodate 

national differences in procedures and practise and the unique character of 

each site. It is applicable regardless of the time-scale of appraisal or scale 

of assessment. The framework is consistent with and extends the industry 

commercial project development classification to include categories for sites 

with a lesser level of data and evaluation. Application to the phases of appraisal 

of three sites illustrates that investigations may advance understanding 

by different pathways and rates. The standardised framework enables 

comparison of the experience of permitting and planning activities completed 

within different jurisdictions, the level of investment and the duration required 

to achieve permitted or permit-ready sites. It is intended that the framework 

of SRLs should be widely applied.” Maxine Akhurst, Karen Kirk, Filip Neele, 

Alv-Arne Grimstad, Michelle Bentham, and Per Bergmo, International 

Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control. (Subscription may be required.)
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 PUBLICATIONS

Multiscale design and analysis of CO2 networks.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Carbon Capture and Storage 

(CCS) is an essential technology for CO2 emissions reductions, which will allow 

us to continue consuming fossil fuels in the short to medium term. In this work, 

[the authors] developed a multiscale modeling and optimization approach that 

links detailed models of the capture plant, compression train and pipelines with 

the CO2 supply-chain network model. This was used to find the cost-optimal 

CO2 network considering a case-study of meeting a national reduction target 

in the United Arab Emirates that supplies CO2 for EOR activities. The main 

decision variables were the optimal location and operating conditions of each 

CO2 capture and compression plant in addition to the topology and sizing of 

the pipelines while considering the whole-system behaviour. A key result of 

[the authors’] study was that the cost-optimal degree of capture should be 

included as a degree of freedom in the design of CO2 networks and it is a 

function of several site-specific factors, including exhaust gas characteristics, 

proximity to transportation networks and adequate geological storage capacity. 

This conclusion serves to underscore the need to comprehend the science 

governing the physical behaviour at different scales and the importance of a 

whole-system analysis of potential CO2 networks.” Ahmed Alhajaj and Nilay 

Shah, International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control. (Subscription may be 

required.)

Storage of hydrogen, natural gas, and carbon dioxide – Geological 

and legal conditions.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “The analysis of geological 

and reservoir conditions of the underground storage of hydrogen, methane, 

and carbon dioxide, that are important when choosing rock formations for the 

storage of gas, was presented. Physico-chemical properties of the discussed 

gases, affecting underground storage, were taken into account. Aquifers, 

hydrocarbon reservoirs, and caverns leached in salt rocks were analyzed. 

Legal aspects of underground gas storage were indicated. The physicochemical conditions of the gases considered (especially molecular mass, and 

dynamic viscosity) are important for the selection of geological structures for 

their storage. The reservoir tightness is one of the most important geological 

and reservoir conditions when taking the appropriate porosity and permeability 

of rocks building underground storage sites into account. Salt caverns 

should be mainly used for hydrogen storage due to the tightness of rock salt. 

Geochemical and microbiological interactions affecting the operation of the 

underground storage site and its tightness are especially important and should 

be taken into account. The size of the underground storage site, while not as 

crucial in the case of H2 storage, is important for CO2 storage. When it comes 

to reservoir conditions, the amount of cushion gas and storage efficiency are 

important. The legal status of gas storage sites is highly variable. While there 

are existing regulations regarding natural gas storage, CO2 storage requires 

further legislation. In the case of H2 storage legal regulations need to be 

developed based on the experience of storage of other gases. The potential 

competition from other entities focused on the use of underground space for 

gas storage should be taken into account.” Radosław Tarkowski, Barbara 

Uliasz-Misiak, and Piotr Tarkowski, International Journal of Hydrogen 

Energy. (Subscription may be required.)

Assessing the influence of injection temperature on CO2 storage 

efficiency and capacity in the sloping formation with fault.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Complex factors can affect 

carbon dioxide (CO2) geological storage efficiency and capacity. In this paper, a 

three-dimensional (3D) conceptual model of the Shiqianfeng formation in the 

Ordos basin was established (a total of 16 sets of schemes) to study the influence 

of injection temperature on CO2 storage efficiency and migration safety in the 

sloping formation with a fault. In addition, storage capacity is investigated for 

CO2 storage site selection. The results show that injection temperature and 

formation slope have a significant effect on CO2 storage efficiency. Faulting 

provides a possible channel for CO2 leakage. High injection temperature is 

more likely to cause CO2 leakage in the sloping formation. When the injection 

temperatures are 11, 31.5, 51 and 71 °C in the 15° slope formation, the time 

points of CO2 leakage are 200, 170, 150 and 140 years, respectively. The lower 

injection temperature results in a higher CO2 concentration near the injection 

well and a closer migration distance of dissolved CO2. The larger the formation 

slope is, the farther the dissolved CO2 migration distance will be. The higher 

injection temperature results in a greater gas phase, dissolved phase, and total 

CO2 storage amount in the whole formation. The larger the formation slope is, 

the smaller the CO2 storage capacity will be for CO2 injected over 20 years. 

However, the larger formation slope resulted in a smaller gas phase and larger 

storage amount of the dissolved phase CO2 for CO2 migration after 140 years. 

The influence of the formation slope on the dissolved CO2 migration safety is 

more obvious than that of injection temperature. However, the influence of the 

injection temperature on CO2 storage capacity is more obvious than that of 

the formation slope.” Jing Jing, Yanlin Yang, and Zhonghua Tang, Energy. 

(Subscription may be required.)

Efficient marine environmental characterisation to support 

monitoring of geological CO2 storage.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Carbon capture and storage 

is key for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, and offshore geological 

formations provide vast CO2 storage potential. Monitoring of sub-seabed 

CO2 storage sites requires that anomalies signifying a loss of containment be 

detected, and if attributed to storage, quantified and their impact assessed. 

However, monitoring at or above the seabed is only useful if one can reliably 

differentiate abnormal signals from natural variability. Baseline acquisition is 

the default option for describing the natural state, however we argue that a 

comprehensive baseline assessment is likely expensive and time-bound, given 

the multi-decadal nature of CCS operations and the dynamic heterogeneity 

of the marine environment. [The authors] present an outline of the elements 

comprising an efficient marine environmental baseline to support offshore 

monitoring. [The authors] demonstrate that many of these elements can be 

derived from pre-existing and ongoing sources, not necessarily related to CCS 

project development. [The authors] argue that a sufficient baseline can be 

achieved by identifying key emergent properties of the system rather than 

assembling an extensive description of the physical, chemical and biological 

states. Further, that contemporary comparisons between impacted and nonimpacted sites are likely to be as valuable as before and after comparisons. 

However, as these emergent properties may be nuanced between sites and 

seasons and comparative studies need to be validated by the careful choice 

of reference site, a site-specific understanding of the scales of heterogeneity 

will be an invaluable component of a baseline.” Jerry Blackford, Katherine 

Romanak, Veerle A.I. Huvenne, Anna Lichtschlag, James Asa Strong, 

Guttorm Alendal, Sigrid Eskeland Schütz, Anna Oleynik, and Dorothy J. 

Dankel, International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control. (Subscription may 

be required.)

Modeling trade-offs across carbon sequestration, biodiversity 

conservation, and equity in the distribution of global REDD+ funds.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “The program on Reducing 

Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is one of the 

major attempts to tackle climate change mitigation in developing countries. 

REDD+ seeks to provide result-based incentives to promote emission reductions 

and increase carbon sinks in forest land while promoting other cobenefits, such 

as the conservation of biodiversity. [The authors] model different scenarios of 

international REDD+ funds distribution toward potential recipient countries 

using 2 carbon emission reduction targets (20% and 50% compared to the 

baseline scenario, i.e., deforestation and forest degradation without REDD+) 

by 2030. The model combines the prioritization of environmental outcomes 

in terms of carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation and social 

equity, accounting for the equitable distribution of international REDD+ funds. 

Results highlight the synergy between carbon sequestration and biodiversity 

conservation under alternative fund allocation criteria, especially for scenarios 

of low carbon emission reduction. Trade-offs increase when distributional 

equity is considered as an additional criterion, especially under higher equity 

requirements. The analysis helps to better understand the inherent trade-offs 

between enhancing distributional equity and meeting environmental targets 

under alternative REDD+ fund allocation options.” Ignacio Palomo, Yann 

Dujardin, Estelle Midler, Manon Robin, María J. Sanz, and Unai Pascual,

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of 

America. (Subscription may be required.
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 PUBLICATIONS

Effects of Temporal Variation in Long-Term Cultivation on Organic 

Carbon Sequestration in Calcareous Soils: Nile Delta, Egypt.

The following is from the abstract of this article: “Soil carbon sequestration 

is a riskier long-term strategy for climate mitigation than direct emissions 

reduction, but it plays a main role in closing carbon emission gaps. Effects 

of long-term cultivation on soil carbon sequestration were studied at the 

western edge of the Nile Delta near Alexandria, Egypt. Seven agricultural fields 

of different ages (0–50 years in use) were selected and compared with the 

surrounding desert (virgin soil) and desert shrub-land. Samples were taken 

at three horizons, 0–30, 30–60, and 60–90 cm, and tested for differences in 

physical and chemical properties. The results of long-term cultivation reveal 

that the European Commission (EC) value was 11.77 dS/m in virgin soil, 

while the EC values decreased to 5.82, 4.23, 3.74, 2.40, and 2.26 dS/m 

after 5, 10, 20, 30, and 50 years of cultivation, respectively. The calcareous 

rock fraction smaller than 50 μm in size revealed another phenomenon, 

where active calcium carbonate content increased with cultivation practices 

from 1.15% (virgin soil) to 5.42%, 6.47%, 8.38%, and 10.13% after 5, 10, 

20, and 30 years of cultivation, respectively, while shrub-land also showed a 

low amount of active CaCO3 with 1.38%. In fifty years of cultivation, soil bulk 

density decreased significantly from 1.67 to 1.11 g/cm3, and it decreased to 

1.65, 1.44, 1.40, and 1.25 g/cm3 after 5, 10, 20, and 30 years, respectively. 

These results reveal that the increase in soil carbon stock in the upper 90 cm 

amounted to 41.02 t C/ha after five years of cultivation, compared to virgin 

soil with 13.47 t C/ha. Soil carbon levels increased steeply during the five 

years of cultivation, with an average rate of 8.20 t C/ha per year in the upper 

90 cm. After the first five years of cultivation, the carbon sequestration rate 

slowed, reaching 4.68, 3.77, 2.58, and 1.93 t C/ha per year after 10, 20, 

30, and 50 years, respectively, resulting in sequestration-potential values of 

46.78, 75.63, 77.43, and 96.45 t C/ha. These results indicate that potential 

soil carbon sequestration resembles a logarithmic curve until the equilibrium 

state between carbon application and decomposition by microorganisms is 

reached.” Manal Alnaimy, Martina Zelenakova, Zuzana Vranayova, and 

Mohamed Abu-Hashim, Sustainability. (Subscription may be required.)
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 ANNOUNCEMENTS

ANNOUNCEMENTS

OCTOBER 2020

Wyoming Granted Primacy to Regulate CO2 Storage Wells.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granted the 

Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality primacy to monitor 

underground injection wells used to store carbon dioxide (CO2). 

In addition, Wyoming state regulators will have the authority to craft and enforce 

regulations to protect drinking water sources during construction and use of 

the wells, as required under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Wyoming joins North 

Dakota as U.S. states permitted to implement their own regulations on Class VI 

injection wells. 

DOE/NETL Launches Carbon Capture Newsletter.

DOE/NETL announced the launch of a Carbon Capture Newsletter. The monthly 

newsletter provides information on recent activities and publications related 

to carbon capture and NETL’s Carbon Capture Program. Sections include 

Interagency News and Updates, Upcoming U.S. and International Conferences, 

Business and Industry News, and Publications. Click here for subscription 

information.

DOE Offers Prize to Design Subsurface Visualization Tool.

DOE/FE will award up to $1.5 million to winning innovators in a prize challenge 

to support their SMART (Science-informed Machine Learning to Accelerate 

Real-Time Decisions in the Subsurface) Initiative. The SMART Visualization 

Platform (VP) Challenge prize competition seeks competitors with software 

development expertise to create a new visualization platform that will assist 

in making subsurface insights accessible to a wider range of users and 

stakeholders. SMART leverages the expertise of seven national laboratories, 

as well as industry partners, universities, unconventional field laboratories, and 

carbon storage regional initiatives, to realize breakthroughs in understanding 

the subsurface environment through machine learning. Registration information 

can found on the SMART VP Challenge website. The registration deadline is 

January 22, 2021. 

NETL Releases ROZ Appraisals Featuring FE/NETL Onshore CO2-EOR 

Cost Model.

NETL released CO2-enhanced oil recovery (EOR) appraisal reports for 

two regions of the San Andres residual oil zone (ROZ) fairway in the 

Permian Basin (USA). The two reports (An Eight-County Appraisal of the 

San Andres Residual Oil Zone (ROZ) “Fairway” of the Permian Basin and 

A Four-County Appraisal of the San Andres Residual Oil Zone (ROZ) “Fairway” 

of the Permian Basin) use reservoir simulator outputs and economic viability 

considerations to estimate the oil that can be produced and the CO2 that can be 

stored in these fairway regions. The FE/NETL CO2 Prophet Model and the FE/

NETL Onshore CO2-EOR Cost Model were used to determine results of these 

studies. The reports, cost model, and other relevant documents can be found 

on NETL’s Search Energy Analysis website by searching under the Collection 

Names “Eight-County San Andres ROZ Appraisal,” “Four-County San Andres 

ROZ Appraisal,” and “FE/NETL Onshore CO2-EOR Cost Model.”

NETL Releases Offshore Oil Field Case Studies.

NETL released three case studies on offshore CO2-EOR. The studies (Horn 

Mountain Oil Field Case Study, Cognac Offshore Oil Field Case Study, and 

Petronius Offshore Oil Field Case Study) provide perspective into the challenges 

of evaluating offshore CO2-EOR and CO2 storage potential, and demonstrate 

the performance of the CO2 Prophet Model EOR reservoir simulator. These 

studies, as well as other relevant documents, can be found on NETL’s Search 

Energy Analysis website by searching “offshore EOR.”

DOE Invests in Carbon Capture Technologies.

DOE announced federal funding to support the development and advancement 

of CO2 capture technologies under two Funding Opportunity Announcements 

(FOAs). The funding will support nine projects for coal and natural gas power 

and industrial sources and 18 projects that remove CO2 through direct air 

capture (DAC) technology. Descriptions of the projects are available on the 

NETL website.

NETL Releases 2020 Compendium of Carbon Capture Technology.

NETL’s 2020 Compendium of Carbon Capture Technology, which is now 

available on the NETL website, provides stakeholders with a summary of NETL’s 

Carbon Capture Program. The document contains CO2 capture technology R&D 

descriptions for more than 130 active and completed projects.

Field Hearing Held on CCS.

The U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works held a field 

hearing on carbon capture and storage (CCS) near the Dry Fork Station power 

plant in Wyoming, USA. The hearing was held at the Integrated Test Center 

(ITC), a utility-scale carbon capture laboratory attached directly to a coal facility.

CCS Facility Announces Monthly Totals.

The CCS facility located at SaskPower’s Boundary Dam Power Station captured 

more than 75,000 metric tons of CO2 in July 2020, marking the facility’s 

highest single month total since July 2019. More than 390,000 metric tons 

of CO2 have been captured through CCS at the facility in 2020; nearly 3.48 

million metric tons of CO2 have been captured since the facility went online in 

2014.

Report Reviews CO2 Storage Regulations.

The CO2 Capture Project published a report reviewing global CCS regulations. 

The “Survey of CO2 Storage Regulations” report (subscription may be required 

to view) analyzes recent developments in CO2 storage project regulations 

worldwide, emphasizing key developments, outstanding issues, and gaps that 

may impact the commercial success of CCS.

White Paper Outlines Case for CO2 Storage.

The American Forest Foundation released a white paper outlining the case for 

how family-owned forests can store CO2. “Family-owned Forests: How to Unlock 

the Carbon Potential in America’s Backyard” details financial mechanisms that 

could enable family landowners to overcome cost barriers for implementing 

practices that would increase the health and CO2 storage ability of their trees. 

NOVEMBER 2020

DOE Announces Project Selections Under COAL FIRST Initiative.

DOE/FE selected four projects for cost-shared R&D through the Coal FIRST 

(Flexible, Innovative, Resilient, Small, Transformative) Initiative. DOE’s earlystage research for the Coal FIRST Initiative supports the development of 21st

century electricity and hydrogen energy plants that have net-zero carbon 

emissions. These plants will be fueled by coal, natural gas, biomass, and 

waste plastics and incorporate carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) 

technologies. 

DOE/NETL 2020 Virtual Integrated Project Review Meeting 

Proceedings.

Proceedings from the DOE/NETL Integrated Project Review Meeting are 

available on the NETL website. The virtual integrated review meeting consisted 

of a series of free virtual sessions organized by DOE/NETL that featured projects 

from several DOE/FE portfolios, including Carbon Capture and Carbon Storage.
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

45

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 ANNOUNCEMENTS

IEA Report Focuses on Impact of CCUS.

A report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) examines the impact of 

CCUS technology on reducing CO2 emissions. The report, “CCUS in Clean 

Energy Transitions,” also includes geospatial analysis of power and industrial 

emissions in key regions and their proximity to potential geologic storage sites.

Study Highlights CO2 Capture, Storage Potential.

A study funded by the United Kingdom’s (UK) Department for Transport 

found that CO2 capture could achieve marine decarbonization at 50% of a 

comparable cost for zero-carbon fuels. According the study, vessel stability 

could be maintained without other modifications, and the captured CO2 could 

be delivered to arrival ports in liquid form for geologic storage.

Analysis on CCS Spending in Europe.

An analysis conducted by Rystad Energy found that carbon capture and 

storage (CCS) technology development in Europe has reached a stage in which 

large-scale developments could lead to as much as 75 million metric tons of 

CO2 captured and stored by 2035.

DNV GL’s Energy Transition Outlook 2020.

The scaling of CCS technology has the potential to be a catalyst to decarbonize 

the oil and gas value chain after 2035, according to DNV GL’s Energy Transition 

Outlook 2020. The report provides an independent forecast of developments 

in the world energy mix to 2050, and presents the demand, supply, and 

investment forecast to 2050. According to DNV GL’s report, 13% of natural gas 

will be decarbonized in 2050, with 12% of world energy emissions captured 

through CCS technology.

DECEMBER 2020

DOE Releases Coal R&D Fact Sheets.

DOE’s Office of Clean Coal and Carbon Management posted nine coal R&D fact 

sheets. The Office of Clean Coal and Carbon Management R&D efforts advance 

transformative science and innovative technologies that enable the reliable, 

efficient, affordable, and environmentally sound use of fossil fuels.

Open-Access CO2 Storage Simulator Released.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Total, and Stanford University 

released an open-source, high-performance simulator for large-scale geologic 

CO2 storage. The GEOSX simulator provides researchers with an open 

framework to accelerate the development of carbon capture, utilization, and 

storage (CCUS) technologies by using field data to predict the behavior and 

impact of CO2 stored in geologic sources. 

CCS Project Briefing.

The Bellona Foundation released a briefing on Norway’s Longship Carbon 

Capture and Storage (CCS) Project. The briefing provides an overview of the 

project and the stages of its CCS chain, an analysis of the financial risks and 

estimated project costs, and a calculation of cost per metric ton of avoided 

CO2. 

White Paper on Incentivizing Large-Scale CCS in Canada.

RSM Canada and the International CCS Knowledge Centre released a white 

paper identifying opportunities within the Canadian tax and grant systems 

to incentivize large-scale CCS technology. The white paper examines the 

economic impact related to the development of CCS projects in Canada and 

recommends policy options for Canadian incentive scenarios.

Companies to Partner on CCUS R&D.

ADNOC and Total signed a strategic framework agreement to explore joint 

research, development, and deployment partnership opportunities in the areas 

of CO2 emissions reduction and CCUS. In the area of CCUS, the companies will 

further develop joint research into new technologies covering CCS solutions 

and EOR projects based on CO2 usage.

JANUARY 2021

NETL Explores Expanded Use for CO2-EOR.

A project utilizing National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) expertise in 

CO2-enhanced oil recovery (EOR) is underway in southern Michigan (USA). The 

project aims to access significant resources in the Trenton/Black River play 

by injecting CO2 in the subsurface to improve the flow of oil to production 

wells. The goals of the project are to help the United States maintain its energy 

independence and economically use captured CO2 while reducing emissions 

and maximizing the lifetime utility of existing infrastructure and wells in mature 

fields. 

NETL-Funded Project Supports Carbon Utilization Program.

More than 1,200 hours of field testing was completed at the Wyoming 

Integrated Test Center. The demonstration of a process to create concrete 

blocks using CO2 from power plant flue gas support DOE’s Carbon Utilization 

Program. 

DOE Released Hydrogen Program Plan.

DOE released its Hydrogen Program Plan to provide a strategic framework for 

its hydrogen research, development, and demonstration activities. The plan 

involves participation from FE, as well as the DOE Offices of Energy Efficiency 

and Renewable Energy, Nuclear Energy, Electricity, Science, and the Advanced 

Research Projects Agency–Energy.

DOE Announces Selections for FOA.

DOE/FE selected 14 projects to receive federal funding for cost-shared R&D 

to help foster new uses for domestic coal resources. The projects will be 

managed by NETL and support the Advanced Coal Processing Technologies 

Program, which focuses on improving coal feedstock, producing high-value 

products from coal, and alternative technologies to produce high-performance 

carbon material from coal.

CCUS Stakeholder Workshops Held.

STRATEGY CCUS—a European Union funded project—conducted workshops 

to support the development and deployment of carbon capture, utilization, 

and storage (CCUS) in Southern and Eastern Europe. Participants included 

local and national government officials, community representatives, industry 

members, CCUS project developers and researchers, environmental groups, 

and support organizations. 

Report on Global Status of CCS.

The Global Status of CCS Report 2020 (purchase may be required) 

demonstrates the role carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies can play 

in reducing emissions to net-zero by 2050. In addition, the Global CCS Institute 

report also documents the current status of CCS technology, as well as the 

milestones it has achieved in 2020.

FEBRUARY 2021

DOE Announces FOA in Support of CO2 Utilization.

DOE/FE will make available federal funding for cost-shared research, 

development, and testing of technologies that can utilize CO2 from power 

systems for bio-mediated uptake by algal systems to create valuable products 

and services. The FOA, which supports DOE’s Carbon Utilization Program, will 

seek applications that aim to perform engineering-scale testing and validation 

of algae-based technologies and bioproducts. Responses are due March 2, 

2021. 
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

46

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 ANNOUNCEMENTS

DOE Announces Funding to Help Decarbonize Energy and 

Commodity Production.

DOE/FE announced that federal funding is available for cost-shared R&D to help 

recalibrate the nation’s fossil fuel and power infrastructure for decarbonized 

energy and commodity production. The funding is aimed at developing 

technologies for the production, transport, storage, and utilization of fossilbased hydrogen, with progress toward net-zero emissions. Projects selected 

under the FOA will be managed by NETL. Responses are due March 1, 2021.

RGGI Secondary Market Report Made Available.

The independent market monitor for the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative 

(RGGI) released a report on the secondary market for RGGI CO2 allowances, 

including future prices, market activity, and allowance holdings. Potomac 

Economics’ “Report on the Secondary Market for RGGI CO2 Allowances: Third 

Quarter 2020” addresses the period from July through September 2020. 

The report is part of Potomac’s ongoing monitoring of the RGGI auctions and 

secondary markets.

Industry Research Report on CO2-EOR Market Released.

A research report on the global CO2-enhanced oil recovery (EOR) market was 

released by a research and consulting services company. The report offers 

qualitative and quantifiable information on factors affecting or influencing 

market dynamics and market growth, including sections on global CO2-EOR 

market growth drivers, market trends, and market opportunities. (Purchase 

may be required.)

Report Outlines Potential Approaches to Reduce CO2 Emissions.

University of Colorado’s (Boulder) Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute 

(USA) released a report outlining steps the United States can take to reduce 

CO2 emissions. “Accelerating the U.S. Clean Energy Transition: Challenges 

and Solutions by Sector” describes low- and zero-carbon solutions across a 

variety of sectors, laying out policy options for each. The report also provides an 

overview of technologies that have the potential to reduce CO2 levels.

MARCH 2021

NETL-Supported Project to be Field-Tested.

An NETL-supported project to develop a transformational CO2 capture 

technology will be field-tested at Norway’s Technology Centre Mongstad 

(TCM). The Non-Aqueous Solvent technology is being developed by 

RTI International with support from DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy (FE) 

and NETL.

DOE Announces Funding for Clean Energy Research.

DOE announced funding for transformative clean energy research and 

development (R&D) via the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy 

(ARPA-E). DOE will also participate in the National Climate Task Force’s Climate 

Innovation Working Group, which will coordinate federal efforts to help achieve 

net-zero economy-wide emissions by 2050.

Report Examines CCS Potential to Address CO2 Emissions.

Rystad Energy’s monthly “Energy Transition Report” found that carbon capture 

and storage (CCS) technology has the potential to address approximately 62% 

of global CO2 emissions. The assessment adds that direct air capture (DAC) 

and bioenergy carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology will also be 

needed to reach this level.

Database to Support North Sea CCS Operators.

Applied Petroleum Technology compiled a new database of CO2 properties at 

various pressures and temperatures for the North Sea to support operators 

considering offshore CO2 storage. The database includes more than 950 data 

points. 

CCS Project Update.

Porthos, a CCS project in Rotterdam, Netherlands, announced it is on schedule 

to store approximately 2.5 million metric tons of CO2 per year in gas fields 

beneath the North Sea. 

IEA to Produce Net-Zero Roadmap.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) will produce a report that details the 

steps governments, companies, investors, and citizens can take for the energy 

sector to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. “The World’s Roadmap to Net 

Zero by 2050” is expected to be released in 2021.

APRIL 2021

MGSC Transitions to MRCI.

The Midwest Geological Sequestration Consortium (MGSC), one of DOE’s 

Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships (RCSPs), has transitioned to the 

Midwest Regional Carbon Initiative (MRCI). Led by Battelle Memorial Institute 

and the Illinois State Geological Survey, MRCI aims to advance carbon capture, 

utilization, and storage (CCUS) research by addressing key technical challenges, 

obtaining and sharing data to support CCUS, facilitating regional infrastructure 

planning, and performing regional technology transfer. Presentations from 

MRCI’s February 2021 virtual partners meeting are available.

USDA Requests Information on Climate Policy.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a Federal Register Notice 

requesting public input on the climate-smart agriculture and forestry strategy. 

The Notice, which was available for public input through April 30, 2021, 

followed an Executive Order.

Report Highlights CCUS Importance.

The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe released a report

highlighting the importance of CCUS technology for meeting carbon-reduction 

targets. The technology brief provides an overview of existing CCUS projects in 

Europe and North America and addresses the requirements and potential costs 

for large-scale CCUS deployment.

CO2CRC Launches CCUS Technical Advisory and Consultancy.

CO2CRC launched CO2Tech—a technical advisory and consultancy services 

company. According to the CO2CRC, which specializes in CCUS research, 

CO2Tech will have access to the Otway International Test Centre and CO2CRC’s 

knowledge via commercial agreements.

Tool to Measure Carbon Storage in Forests.

ICLEI—Local Governments for Sustainability developed the Land Emissions 

and Removals Navigator (LEARN) Tool to better understand and measure 

greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and storage potential of forests. The LEARN 

Tool provides preliminary analysis on emissions and removals that may be 

used to inform and be integrated into nature-based solutions in climate action 

planning.

Carbon Dioxide Removal Service Launched.

Carbon Engineering (CE) launched a CO2 removal service enabling the purchase 

of CO2 removal units (each represents one metric ton) through CE’s direct air 

capture (DAC) technology. The CO2 removal will be performed by 1PointFive in 

the United States and Pale Blue Dot Energy in the United Kingdom.
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

47

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 ANNOUNCEMENTS

MAY 2021

White House Report Outlines Revitalization in Coal, Power Plant 

Communities.

The White House Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant 

Communities and Economic Revitalization released a report of recommendations

to the President to catalyze robust economic activity and support workers in 

America’s energy sector. NETL supported the drafting of the report for the 

Interagency Working Group, of which NETL Director Brian Anderson, Ph.D., has 

been named Executive Director. The Interagency Working Group was formed 

in response to President Biden’s Executive Order 14008, “Tackling the Climate 

Crisis at Home and Abroad.” 

Project Tundra Informational Video Available.

Minnkota Power Cooperative, with research support from the University of North 

Dakota’s Energy and Environmental Research Center’s (EERC), is implementing 

Project Tundra, which is a carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) retrofit 

project for Minnkota Power’s Milton R. Young station located in North Dakota, 

USA. The project is in part funded by DOE’s Carbon Storage Assurance Facility 

Enterprise (CarbonSAFE) Initiative, which builds on work done by the Regional 

Carbon Sequestration Partnerships (RCSPs) to fund and develop projects that 

focus on developing commercial-scale carbon storage complexes that will be 

ready for integrated CCUS system deployment in the 2025–2035 timeframe. 

CO2 Pipeline Guidance Published.

DNV published guidance for transporting CO2 via pipelines and strengthening 

the development of CCS projects. The procedures were published based on 

results from a joint industry project between Energy Pipelines CRC and DNV, 

which involved two large-scale CO2 “crack arrest tests” to better understand 

CO2 releases. 

Carbon and Ecosystems Services Portfolio Launched.

Corteva Agriscience—an American agricultural chemical and seed company—

created a “Carbon and Ecosystems Services” portfolio to help enable the 

development of carbon storage and ease access to carbon credits. In addition, 

the company created the 2021 Climate Positive Leaders Program, which is a 

nomination-based program to recognize those in the agricultural community 

who have successfully implemented “climate-positive” agricultural practices.

CCS Facility Reaches Milestone.

SaskPower’s Boundary Dam 3 CCS facility has captured and prevented 4 

million metric tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere according to the 

International CCS Knowledge Centre. Experience gained through the design, 

construction, and operation of the facility has led to two studies—the Shand 

CCS Feasibility Study and the Lehigh CCS Feasibility Study.

Global CCS Institute Gets New Member.

An energy commodity trader has joined the Global CCS Institute. Gunvor 

Group—whose main trading offices are located in Geneva, Singapore, 

Houston, and London—has shifted approximately half of its trading to 

“transitional commodities,” according to EU Taxonomy. One part of their Energy 

Transition strategy includes CCS. The Global CCS Institute’s mission is to 

accelerate the deployment of CCS, and its international membership includes 

governments, global corporations, private companies, research bodies, and 

non-governmental organizations.

JUNE 2021

DOE Announces Funding to Enhance Safety, Security of CO2 Storage.

DOE announced funding for four research and development (R&D) projects to 

enhance the safety and security of carbon dioxide (CO2) storage. The selected 

projects will look to address challenges related to long-term, commercial-scale 

storage of CO2, working to improve the tools to monitor the seal integrity of 

caprocks used in CO2 storage complexes and identify and reduce the risk of 

potential seismic activity. The projects will be managed by DOE’s Office of 

Fossil Energy and Carbon Management’s (FECM) National Energy Technology 

Laboratory (NETL) and will support the goals of the Advanced Storage R&D

technology development area in DOE’s Carbon Storage Program. 

NETL FY 2020 Science and Technology Accomplishments Book 

Available.

NETL’s FY 2020 Science & Technology Accomplishments book is available. 

These demonstrated accomplishments, which represent a selection of NETL 

researchers’ achievements, characterize NETL’s six Core Competencies: 

Computational Science and Engineering, Energy Conversion Engineering, 

Geological and Environmental Sciences, Materials Engineering and 

Manufacturing, Program Execution and Integration, and Systems Engineering 

and Analysis.

In Case You Missed It, Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon 

Management.

DOE’s FECM reported on highlights from the first quarter of 2021, including 

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Jennifer Wilcox—who is also Acting 

Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy—speaking about the importance of CCS 

and direct air capture technologies at several virtual events. 

NETL-Supported Technology Wins Global Competition.

An NETL-supported technology won a global competition for the development 

of an eco-friendly process that infuses concrete with CO2 emissions directly 

captured from industrial facilities. The University of California, Los Angeles 

(UCLA) CarbonBuilt Team won the grand prize in the NRG COSTIA Carbon 

XPRIZE global competition’s track for technologies related to coal-fired power 

generation. The project was supported by DOE’s Carbon Utilization Program.

Partnership Formed to Accelerate CCUS.

Battelle and Catahoula Resources will jointly develop solutions for the capture, 

transport, and storage of CO2 produced at ethanol facilities in Nebraska (USA). 

The companies, paired with private investment firm The Energy and Minerals 

Group, plan to design and build multiple low-cost storage options either onsite 

or close to existing ethanol plants where the geology proves to be favorable.

Report on BECCS Potential at Drax.

Energy consultancy Baringa released a report evaluating the impact of 

deploying bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology at 

the Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire, England. Commissioned by the Drax 

Group, the report also found that with investment from the United Kingdom (UK) 

government, work to build two BECCS units could begin in 2024.

Carbontech Initiative Announces First Participants.

The Carbon to Value Initiative (C2V Initiative)—a program aimed at 

commercializing technologies that capture, convert, and store CO2—

announced the selection of 10 companies for the first cohort of the program. 

The startups will participate in a program with members from the C2V 

Initiative’s Carbontech Leadership Council.

International Consortium to Develop Electricity-Based CCS.

An international consortium plans to investigate the potential of CCS technology 

to reduce CO2 industrial emissions. “ConsenCUS – CarbOn Neutral cluSters 

through Electricity-based iNnovations in Capture, Utilisation and Storage” aims 

to scale up technological innovations and conduct socio-economic research to 

investigate electrochemical CO2 emissions reduction.

Pre-Study of CCS Project Complete.

The Carbon Infrastructure Capture Project (CinfraCap) in western Sweden 

completed a pre-study, which included proposals for optimizing CCS and 

identifying potential risks. CinfraCap—a collaboration project among Göteborg 

Energi, Nordion Energi, Preem, St1, Renova, and the Gothenburg Port 

Authority—is focused on the transport of captured CO2.
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

48

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 ANNOUNCEMENTS

Brief Surveys U.S. Federal CCS Policy Landscape.

The Global CCS Institute released a brief detailing the CCS-related bills 

introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate in 2021. 

The brief examines the CCS policies that support the advancement of the 

technology in the United States and provides a history of CCS policy. 

JULY 2021

DOE Leads International Forum to Develop Net-Zero Emissions 

Strategies.

DOE is leading the creation of a new international forum dedicated to developing 

long-term strategies, such as carbon capture and storage (CCS), to reach 

global net-zero emissions. The Net-Zero Producers Forum includes Canada, 

Norway, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United States, which collectively represent 

40% of global oil and gas production. DOE, along with other governments, 

also announced several other initiatives to expand international cooperation 

in addressing potential climate issues and enhance clean energy innovation. 

NETL-Supported Paper Published as “Feature Paper.”

An NETL-supported paper evaluating the influences that market and policy 

changes could have on the economics of CCS facilities was published as a 

“Feature Paper in a Special Issue of Alternative Energy Policy. The paper, titled 

“Comparative Analysis of Carbon Capture and Storage Finance Gaps and the 

Social Cost of Carbon,” used data provided from modified versions of models 

and resources created and managed by NETL.

FECM Chief of Staff Participates in CCS Webinar.

FECM Chief of Staff Shuchi Talati provided opening remarks at the final 

installment of a three-part Global CCS Institute webinar, discussing DOE’s 

role in implementing CCS technologies to meet the Administration’s emissions 

targets. The Carbon Capture and Storage 101 Webinars: CCS Policy for a NetZero Future focused on global CCS policies. 

NETL Director Delivers Keynote Address at Carbon Forum.

NETL Director Brian Anderson delivered the keynote address at “The Value of 

Carbon and Coal in West Virginia’s Energy Future” virtual forum. U.S. Secretary 

of Energy Jennifer Granholm also spoke at the virtual forum, highlighting 

the importance of CCUS and CO2 removal technologies. The virtual forum 

discussed West Virginia’s role in reducing the nation’s CO2 emissions.

DOE Funds Carbon-Based Building Materials.

DOE’s FECM announced the selection of three projects to receive federal 

funding for cost-shared R&D to explore carbon-based building materials. The 

selected projects will investigate opportunities to develop construction materials 

that offer lower life cycle CO2 emissions and other improved properties.

U.S. Launches Decarbonization Initiative.

U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm launched the G7 Industrial 

Decarbonization Agenda (IDA) Initiative to address potential climate change and 

reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from heavy industry. IDA challenges 

G7 members to leverage their innovation to develop robust, durable, and 

impactful common approaches to net-zero outcomes while spurring clean 

market growth.

USDA Initiative to Quantify CCS Evaluation Tools.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced an initiative to 

quantify the climate benefits of Conservation Reserve Program contracts to 

improve existing models and tools (e.g., COMET-Farm and COMET-Planner). 

These tools enable producers to evaluate potential carbon storage and GHG 

emissions reductions based on specific management scenarios.Offshore CCS 

Report Released.

Offshore CCS Report Released.

Columbia World Projects (CWP) released a report identifying key opportunities 

and challenges in offshore CCS. “Accelerating Offshore Carbon Capture 

and Storage: Opportunities and Challenges for CO2 Removal” is based on a 

workshop held by CWP in 2020, and the findings aim to help the development 

of policy framework, technical needs, and future large-scale infrastructure 

investments needed to capture and store CO2 at scale. 

UK Announces Funding for CCUS.

The UK’s Carbon Capture and Storage Association announced the funding of 

14 projects, three of which relate to CCUS. In addition, the UK government also 

announced funding for the CCUS Innovation 2.0 Competition, which supports 

projects that are developing novel technologies that reduce CCUS technology 

deployment costs.

White Paper on CCS Cost Guidelines Developed.

A consortium developed a white paper explaining cost guidelines for CCS. The 

white paper aims to help properly estimate costs involved in CCS projects to 

better inform investment and policy decisions.

UKRI Launches Research and Innovation Center.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) launched the Industrial Decarbonisation 

Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC), which will be tasked with identifying 

and researching opportunities to reduce costs, risks, timescales, and carbon 

emissions. In addition, IDRIC will analyze ways to help decarbonization plans 

work more effectively to meet net-zero and economic targets in the UK.

AUGUST 2021

The New Vision of the Office of Fossil Energy.

DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy officially changed its name to the Office of Fossil 

Energy and Carbon Management (FECM), aligning itself with the climate goals 

set forth by the Biden-Harris Administration. FECM is a key part of DOE’s 

leadership role in the new Administration’s all-of-government approach to 

addressing climate issues. Click here to learn more about work conducted by 

FECM. 

2021 DOE/NETL Carbon Management and Oil and Gas Research 

Project Review Meeting Agenda Available.

The DOE/NETL 2021 Carbon Management and Oil and Gas Research Project 

Review Meeting was held in August 2021 through a series of virtual meetings. 

The project review meeting allowed researchers to present results from more 

than 250 projects funded through a variety of program areas, including carbon 

storage and utilization. Conference proceedings are available.

FECM Acting Assistant Secretary Speaks at CCUS Forum.

DOE’s Acting Assistant Secretary for FECM, Dr. Jennifer Wilcox, spoke at 

the First Asia CCUS Network Forum. The event focused on global goals and 

expectations for CCUS and how advances in technology can help address 

potential climate concerns.

Australia Explores Offshore CO2 Storage.

The Australian government sought nominations from companies for offshore 

acreage to explore locations for CO2 storage as part of a government initiative 

to promote carbon capture and storage (CCS). Companies nominated areas 

for potential storage locations in Australian federal waters, which start three 

nautical miles offshore. The nominations were collected in July 2021 and will 

be open for bidding in December 2021. 

CCS Service Launched.

Aker Carbon Capture launched a service designed to accelerate deployment of 

CCS across industries. As part of Carbon Capture as a Service; Carbon capture 

made easyTM, Aker Carbon Capture will deliver and operate the carbon capture 

facilities; transport and storage will be included through strategic partnerships.
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

49

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

October 2020 – September 2021 ANNOUNCEMENTS

Companies to Develop CCS Solutions on Ships.

The Norwegian company TECO 2030 and American manufacturer Chart 

Industries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to jointly develop 

technology solutions to capture and store CO2 emitted by ships. The MOU 

involves the development of onboard carbon capture solutions for ships using 

Cryogenic Carbon CaptureTM technology. 

RGGI States Initiate Auction Process.

The states participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) 

released the Auction Notice for CO2 Allowance Auction 53, to be held September 

8, 2021. According to the notice, the states will offer 22,911,423 CO2

allowances for sale using a minimum reserve price of $2.38 in 2021. Auction 

53 will also make available a cost containment reserve (CCR) of 11,976,778 

CO2 allowances, which will be accessed if the interim clearing price exceeds 

the CCR trigger price of $13.00, as well as an emissions containment reserve 

(ECR) of 11,307,333 allowances, which are available to be withheld if the 

interim clearing price is less than the ECR trigger price of $6.00.

JBIC to Support Exports from CCS Power Plants.

The Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) will provide support for 

exports from coal power plants if they are equipped with CCS, according to 

officials. Under a new three-year plan, the bank will help transition finance to 

support CCUS.

Report on Large-Scale Emissions Reduction.

According to a new study by the Coalition for Negative Emissions, technologies 

such as bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), direct air capture 

and storage (DACS), and natural climate solutions are needed to help meet 

global climate targets. A summary of The Case for Negative Emissions: A Call 

for Immediate Action findings is also available.

Report Presents U.S. Policy Blueprint 

for CO2 Transport and Storage.

The Energy Futures Initiative released a report that presents a policy roadmap 

to build out CO2 infrastructure while supporting the development of jobs, 

infrastructure, and pathways to net-zero emissions by mid-century. Building to 

Net-Zero: A U.S. Policy Blueprint for Gigaton-Scale CO2 Transport and Storage 

Infrastructure is also available as a webinar presentation and a webinar 

recording. 

SEPTEMBER 2021

CCS Explained.

DOE’s FECM released an instructional video titled “Carbon Capture and 

Storage Explained.” In the video, Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm breaks 

down how carbon capture and storage (CCS) works and its role in addressing 

potential climate change. 

DOE-Sponsored Partnerships Conclude Work.

The Southeast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (SECARB) and the 

Midwest Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (MRCSP) concluded their 

work in support of DOE’s Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships (RCSPs). 

DOE Announces Additional DAC Funding.

DOE’s FECM announced the selection of four additional direct air capture (DAC)-

focused research and development (R&D) projects to receive federal funding, 

which add to the six DAC projects announced in June 2021. The awards are 

funded under Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0002402, 

Carbon Capture R&D: Bench-Scale Testing of Direct Air Capture Components 

(Technology Readiness Level [TRL] 3) and Initial Engineering Design for Carbon 

Capture, Utilization and Storage Systems from Air (TRL 6). A detailed list of the 

selected projects and their associated areas of interest is available.

DOE Issues NOI.

DOE’s FECM issued a Notice of Intent (NOI) for an FOA expected to support 

front-end engineering design (FEED) studies of DAC combined with dedicated 

storage and coupled to existing low-carbon energy. The NOI is in collaboration 

with the Office of Nuclear Energy and the Office of Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy’s Geothermal Technology Office. If issued, the FOA will 

support the advancement of DAC technologies that remove CO2 directly from 

the atmosphere.

CCUS Report Released.

The National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) released a report 

outlining state energy planning and policy considerations to support carbon 

capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). The report, “Carbon Capture, Utilization, 

and Storage: Overview and Considerations for State Planning,” also includes an 

overview of CO2 source sectors, CCUS activities, CO2 capture technologies, and 

the potential utilization of CO2.

MOU Promotes Collaborative Research.

The state of Wyoming and the Japan Coal Energy Center signed a Memorandum 

of Understanding (MOU) to continue collaborative research into CCUS at the 

Wyoming Integrated Test Center in Gillette, Wyoming. The agreement extends 

the initial MOU signed in 2016. 

CCUS Capacity Studied.

According to GlobalData—a data and analytics company—additional CCUS 

capacity is needed in reference to the net-zero emissions by 2050 scenario by 

the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Data Management Platform Designed for Carbon Storage Projects.

Compass Carbon introduced a new technology platform designed for 

large-scale and complex carbon storage projects. The fully automated data 

management, monitoring, and analysis technology is designed to replace the 

manual processing methods used in the industry.

Report Outlines G-20 Progress.

A new report outlines the progress each G-20 member country has made 

toward moving to a low-carbon economy. The Climate Policy Factbook was 

released to increase transparency and inform climate policy priorities.
CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER ANNUAL INDEX – FY 2021

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY | OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT | NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY

ABOUT DOE/NETL’S CARBON 

STORAGE PROGRAM

The Carbon Storage Program at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) 

National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is focused on developing 

and advancing technologies to enable safe, cost-effective, permanent 

geologic storage of CO2, both onshore and offshore, in different depositional 

environments. The technologies being developed will benefit both industrial 

and power sector facilities that will need to mitigate future CO2 emissions. 

The program also serves to increase the understanding of the effectiveness 

of advanced technologies in different geologic reservoirs appropriate for CO2

storage—including saline formations, oil reservoirs, natural gas reservoirs, 

unmineable coal, basalt formations, and organic-rich shale basins—and to 

improve the understanding of how CO2 behaves in the subsurface. These 

objectives are key to increasing confidence in safe, effective, and permanent 

geologic CO2 storage.

The DOE/NETL Carbon Storage Program Overview webpage provides detailed 

information of the program’s structure, as well as links to the webpages that 

summarize the program’s key elements.

DOE/NETL Carbon Storage 

Program Resources

Newsletters, program fact sheets, best practices manuals, roadmaps, 

educational resources, presentations, and more information related to 

the DOE/NETL Carbon Storage Program is available on DOE’s Energy Data 

eXchange (EDX) website.

ABOUT NETL’S CARBON 

STORAGE NEWSLETTER

Compiled by the National Energy Technology Laboratory, this newsletter is 

a monthly summary of public and private sector carbon storage news from 

around the world. The article titles are links to the full text for those who would 

like to read more (note that all links were active at the time of publication).

Click here to manage your NETL Carbon Storage Newsletter subscription 

options or to unsubscribe.

The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), part of the 

U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) national laboratory system, 

is owned and operated by DOE. NETL supports DOE’s mission to 

ensure America’s security and prosperity by addressing its energy, 

environmental, and nuclear challenges through transformative 

science and technology solutions. 

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This Newsletter was prepared under contract for the United States Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory. Neither the United States Government nor any agency 

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