151-0928-00L CO2 Capture and Storage and the Industry of Carbon-Based Resources
| Semester | Spring Semester 2016 |
| Lecturers | M. Mazzotti, L. Bretschger, R. Knutti, C. Müller, M. Repmann |
| Periodicity | yearly recurring course |
| Language of instruction | English |
Courses
| Number | Title | Hours | Lecturers | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 151-0928-00 G | CO2 Capture and Storage and the Industry of Carbon-Based Resources | 3 hrs |
| M. Mazzotti, L. Bretschger, R. Knutti, C. Müller, M. Repmann |
Catalogue data
| Abstract | Carbon-based resources (coal, oil, gas): origin, production, processing, resource economics. Climate change: science, policies. CCS systems: CO2 capture in power/industrial plants, CO2 transport and storage. Besides technical details, economical, legal and societal aspects are considered (e.g. electricity markets, barriers to deployment). |
| Learning objective | The goal of the lecture is to introduce carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) systems, the technical solutions developed so far and the current research questions. This is done in the context of the origin, production, processing and economics of carbon-based resources, and of climate change issues. After this course, students are familiar with important technical and non-technical issues related to use of carbon resources, climate change, and CCS as a transitional mitigation measure. The class will be structured in 2 hours of lecture and one hour of exercises/discussion. At the end of the semester a group project is planned. |
| Content | Both the Swiss and the European energy system face a number of significant challenges over the coming decades. The major concerns are the security and economy of energy supply and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Fossil fuels will continue to satisfy the largest part of the energy demand in the medium term for Europe, and they could become part of the Swiss energy portfolio due to the planned phase out of nuclear power. Carbon capture and storage is considered an important option for the decarbonization of the power sector and it is the only way to reduce emissions in CO2 intensive industrial plants (e.g. cement- and steel production). Building on the previously offered class "Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS)", we have added two specific topics: 1) the industry of carbon-based resources, i.e. what is upstream of the CCS value chain, and 2) the science of climate change, i.e. why and how CO2 emissions are a problem. The course is devided into four parts: I) The first part will be dedicated to the origin, production, and processing of conventional as well as of unconventional carbon-based resources. II) The second part will comprise two lectures from experts in the field of climate change sciences and resource economics. III) The third part will explain the technical details of CO2 capture (current and future options) as well as of CO2 storage and utilization options, taking again also economical, legal, and sociatel aspects into consideration. IV) The fourth part will comprise two lectures from industry experts, one with focus on electricity markets, the other on the experiences made with CCS technologies in the industry. Throughout the class, time will be allocated to work on a number of tasks related to the theory, individually, in groups, or in plenum. Moreover, the students will apply the theoretical knowledge acquired during the course in a case study covering all the topics. |
| Lecture notes | Power Point slides and distributed handouts |
| Literature | IPCC AR5 Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report, 2014. www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/syr/ IPCC Special Report on Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage, 2005. www.ipcc.ch/activity/srccs/index.htm The Global Status of CCS: 2014. Published by the Global CCS Institute, Nov 2014. http://www.globalccsinstitute.com/publications/global-status-ccs-2014 |
| Prerequisites / Notice | External lecturers from the industry and other institutes will contribute with specialized lectures according to the schedule distributed at the beginning of the semester. |
Performance assessment
| Performance assessment information (valid until the course unit is held again) | |
Performance assessment as a semester course | |
| ECTS credits | 4 credits |
| Examiners | M. Mazzotti, L. Bretschger, R. Knutti, C. Müller, M. Repmann |
| Type | end-of-semester examination |
| Language of examination | English |
| Repetition | The performance assessment is only offered at the end after the course unit. Repetition only possible after re-enrolling. |
| Additional information on mode of examination | Questions will be formulated in English, but students are free to choose the language (English or German) for the answers. Die Fragen werden auf englisch gestellt. Die Antworten dürfen auch auf deutsch erfolgen. Written exam of 120 minutes Schriftliche Prüfung, 120 Minuten |
Learning materials
| No public learning materials available. | |
| Only public learning materials are listed. |
Groups
| No information on groups available. |
Restrictions
| There are no additional restrictions for the registration. |
