OPTIMAL SPATIAL DEPLOYMENT OF CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE INFRASTRUCTURE GIVEN A PRICE ON CARBON DIOXIDE

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is the process of capturing and pressurizing carbon dioxide (CO₂) at fixed sources (e.g., fossil fuel power plants, oil refineries), transporting CO₂ through a dedicated pipeline network, and storing or sequestering CO₂ in geologic reservoirs (e.g., depleted oil fields, saline aquifers) for hundreds or thousands of years. CCS can dramatically reduce the amount of CO₂ emitted to the atmosphere, thus minimizing negative impact to the climate, due to CO₂-intensive energy and industrial production. CCS is a particularly appealing CO₂ mitigation strategy because it (i) is available in the short-medium term, (ii) allows consumption of domestic-based fossil fuels, and (iii) can be implemented without a fundamental restructuring of existing energy, economic, or industrial infrastructure. CCS can also be utilized to reduce the carbon intensity of domestically producing oil from oil-shale and tar sands, reducing US dependency on imported oil.

We present a regional-scale spatial infrastructure model (SimCCS) that optimally deploys CCS infrastructure (CO₂ capture technology, pipelines, geologic reservoirs) given a price to emit CO₂ and/or credit to deliver CO₂ for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) operations. The model minimizes the cost of capturing, transporting, storing, selling, or emitting CO2. To significantly reduce CO₂ emissions, CCS infrastructure will have to be deployed on a massive scale, requiring great investment and comprehensive planning. SimCCS is designed to help decision-makers and stakeholders understand and plan how CCS infrastructure can and will react government regulations, economic incentives, and private enterprise considerations. We apply the model to a network of CO₂ sources, CO₂ reservoirs, and candidate CO₂ pipeline links and diameters in California.