Kate Magargal presenting at the Price City Council
CARBON COUNTY — Researchers from the University of Utah are surveying residents of Carbon County to gauge interest in using the local landscape for Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS). CCUS is technology that allows carbon emissions to be collected from an energy point source, such as a power plant, to either reuse or inject into geologic formations underground.
The Utah Geological Survey (UGS) has determined that areas in Carbon County are good candidates for this process, as there are layers of porous rock underneath layers of dense rock. Other areas of interest include the San Rafael Swell, the Uintah Basin and the southwest Utah Renewable Energy Corridor. By pumping carbon dioxide into the porous layer, over time it binds with the rock and becomes part of the earth.
The carbon dioxide would be captured before being released into the air, compressed into a supercritical fluid state and transported either via pipeline or on trucks. After transportation, the carbon dioxide would be injected underground into these rock formations. Lazarus Adua, researcher from the University of Utah, stated that they would likely try to use pumps that are already built on the landscape, instead of drilling new projects.
This process helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions from industries such as cement, steel and fossil fuel run plants. CCUS has the potential to reduce emissions from a power plant by about 80% and is considered critical in efforts to achieve zero emissions. Currently, Utah emits an estimated 13 million tons of carbon dioxide into Utah air per year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Many of Utah’s major emitters qualify for tax credits to implement CCUS.
Allowing CCUS would create incentives for industrial businesses to develop in the area because they might not meet emission requirements elsewhere.
Though the project is a long way out in Carbon County, it is recognized by international entities as groundbreaking technology and Utah’s Department of Energy and the Energy and Geoscience Institute (EGI) are eager to stay on top of the topic. The EGI is currently leading a project to determine the feasibility of CCUS in the Uinta Basin that would hold at least 50 million metric tons of captured carbon dioxide.
If you are interested in participating in research and would like to share thoughts on CCUS in Carbon County, please contact Kate Magargal at kate.magargal@utah.edu to schedule an interview.