Investigating the variation in CO[subscript 2] sequestration supply curves

Abstract

CCS projects that can bring together all pieces of the system—capture, transport, and storage—at the lowest cost will likely be the first to become operational. We have modeled the cost per tonne of CO[subscript 2] of a geologic sequestration system that stores CO[subscript 2] in saline aquifers in the United States. The model includes aspects of capture, transport, storage, and finance, and we present the sensitivity of the model to various source- and sink-specific parameters. From our cost model we developed CO[subscript 2] sequestration supply curves for CO[subscript 2] sources within 100 miles of nine identified CO2 sinks in the Illinois Basin. The supply curves present the amount of CO[subscript 2] that can be sequestered under current economic and technical conditions at a given CO[subscript 2] price, and can and should be used by policy makers and commercial organizations to determine the most economical combinations of sources and sinks for CCS on national, regional, and local levels.