Integrated Assessment of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) in South Africa’s Power Sector

Peter Viebahn, Daniel Vallentin and Samuel Höller
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Peter Viebahn: Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy, Döppersberg 19, Wuppertal 42103, Germany
Daniel Vallentin: Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy, Döppersberg 19, Wuppertal 42103, Germany
Samuel Höller: Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy, Döppersberg 19, Wuppertal 42103, Germany

Energies, 2015, vol. 8, issue 12, 1-27

Abstract: This article presents an integrated assessment conducted in order to explore whether carbon capture and storage (CCS) could be a viable technological option for significantly reducing future CO 2 emissions in South Africa. The methodological approach covers a commercial availability analysis, an analysis of the long-term usable CO 2 storage potential (based on storage capacity assessment, energy scenario analysis and source-sink matching), an economic and ecological assessment and a stakeholder analysis. The findings show, that a reliable storage capacity assessment is needed, since only rough figures concerning the effective capacity currently exist. Further constraints on the fast deployment of CCS may be the delayed commercial availability of CCS, significant barriers to increasing the economic viability of CCS, an expected net maximum reduction rate of the power plant’s greenhouse gas emissions of 67%–72%, an increase in other environmental and social impacts, and low public awareness of CCS. One precondition for opting for CCS would be to find robust solutions to these constraints, taking into account that CCS could potentially conflict with other important policy objectives, such as affordable electricity rates to give the whole population access to electricity.

Keywords: carbon capture and storage (CCS); South Africa; integrated assessment; power sector; CO 2 storage potential; competing policy targets; emerging economies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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