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Global Climate Change Digest
A Guide to Information on Greenhouse Gases and Ozone Depletion
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FROM VOLUME 4, NUMBER 9, SEPTEMBER 1991

REPORTS...
CO₂ CONTROL

Item #d91sep48

Engineering and Economic Evaluation of CO₂ Removal from Fossil-Fuel-Fired Power Plants. Vol. 1: Pulverized-Coal-Fired Power Plants (EPRI IE-7365, Vol. 1), 160 pp., June 1991, $500 (EPRI nonmembers). Order from EPRI Res. Rep. Ctr., POB 50490, Palo Alto CA 94303.

Assessed the impact of CO₂ removal and disposal on the design, performance and cost of pulverized-coal-fired power plants. Removal of CO₂ is technically feasible, but very expensive, and would reduce the net power output by about 35%. Full-scale implementation would increase the cost of coal-fired power by a factor of 2.0-2.6.

Item #d91sep49

_____________Vol. 2: Coal Gasification-Combined-Cycle Power Plants (EPRI IE-7365, Vol. 2), 124 pp., June 1991, $500 (EPRI nonmembers).

Analysis similar to that in Volume 1 showed that removal, recovery and disposal of CO₂ is also technically feasible but expensive. The net power output for the CO₂-removal plant is 88% of the reference plant. Relative to a conventional GCC plant, the cost of electricity would be increased by a factor of 1.6-1.7.

Item #d91sep50

Seaweeds and Halophytes to Remove Carbon from the Atmosphere (EPRI ER/EN-7177), 84 pp., Feb. 1991, $25 (EPRI nonmembers)/$50 (overseas).

The total area of coastal desert and inland saline land available for halophyte plantations is about 1.3 x 106 km2; a comparable area of the continental shelf is available for seaweed plantations. Both seaweeds and halophytes are comparable to trees in production rates; however, the costs of seaweed plantations are currently prohibitive, but the costs of halophyte plantations are comparable to tree plantations. Storage or use of the accumulated biomass is discussed.

Item #d91sep51

Mass Culture of Algae Using Carbon Dioxide from Stack Gases (EPRI GS-7029), 104 pp., Oct. 1990, $32.50/65.

Algae can metabolize stack gas directly from a diesel-fired plant. Bubbling of CO₂ proved to be a more effective method of transferring it into the culture than carbonation. Available land area is one factor limiting practical application.

Item #d91sep52

Advances in Solid Fuels Technologies (GOO522), 1991, $12/$24 (nonmembers). Amer. Soc. Mech. Eng., Order Dept. (800-843-2763; 201-882-1167). Contains a paper, "Potential CO₂ Emissions Reduction Processes," by R. Pruschek and G. Oeljeklaus.

Item #d91sep53

Fuel Cycle Framework for Evaluating Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Technology (PNL-SA-18223), W.B. Ashton (Battelle Pac. Northwest Labs., Richland, Wash.), D.W. Barns, R.A. Bradley, 24 pp., May 1990. NTIS: DE91-004068; $13.95. Nat. Tech. Info. Serv., 5285 Port Royal Rd., Springfield VA 22161 (703-487-4650).

Describes a generic fuel cycle framework to catalog emission source technologies and evaluate technological solutions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Notes that evaluating fuel mix tradeoffs is important; for instance, while substituting natural gas for coal or oil to reduce CO₂ emissions, natural gas emissions of methane in the production phase of the fuel cycle could increase.