Wednesday 2nd November, 2011 – Dublin
Thursday 3rd November, 2011 – Galway
Can Ireland store carbon safely?
Speaker: Dr. Brian McConnell (Geological Survey of Ireland)
VENUE: 2nd November, Geological Survey of Ireland, Beggar’s Bush, Haddington Road, Dublin 4.
TIME (NOTE NEW TIME): 6.00pm
VENUE: 3nd November, Earth and Ocean Sciences (School of Natural Sciences), NUI Galway. UCG MAP
TIME: 8.00pm
Abstract
It is widely accepted that prolific burning of fossil fuels has raised the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere to levels where it is contributing to climate change and that de-carbonising energy is necessary to avert catastrophic and irreversible change. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is a technology chain that could contribute significantly to reduced CO2 emissions to the atmosphere. It works by removing CO2 from the exhaust gas of power stations and other industrial processes and sequestering it in geological formations. The proven technique involves injecting the CO2 into suitable underground reservoirs of porous rock – saline aquifers or depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs – but other methods of sequestration, such as producing solid mineral products with reactive rock, are being explored. While not eliminating society’s dependence on fossil fuels, CCS provides a bridging solution to mitigate the problem while renewable energy sources are developed to large-scale implementation and the acceptability of nuclear power into the future is resolved. But the technology is expensive and commercially unproven; will it ever be economically viable? And is it safe? This talk will introduce the geological aspects of CCS and explore if and where it could be done in Ireland.
Biopic Brian
McConnell: Brian has a BSc in Geology from the University of Liverpool, a PhD from Trinity College and post-doctoral experience including mapping, volcanology and mineral exploration. He has been with GSI for 18 years and is currently Senior Geologist and manager of onshore bedrock mapping. Brian is the GSI representative in the CGS Europe FP7 Coordination Action on geological storage of CO2 and serves on the Inter-Departmental Working Group on CCS.