A Holistic Multi-Criteria Decision and Risk Analysis Method for CCS and GHG Mitigation Projects

A Holistic Multi-Criteria Decision and Risk Analysis Method for CCS and GHG Mitigation Projects

John Michael Humphries Choptiany (Dalhousie University, Canada)
Copyright: © 2017 |Pages: 22
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-1790-0.ch018

Abstract

Methods of electricity generation comprise many different forms with many different benefits and drawbacks. Decisions related to selecting between and how to implement energy production projects can be very complex with significant uncertainty. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is one such method. As these options are uncertain and have such varied benefits and drawbacks, they necessitate effective decision analyses. Traditional methods of decision analysis cannot adequately assess these decisions. This chapter outlines a framework to combine decision analysis methods into a comprehensive analysis that is both user friendly and thorough. A sample case study is used to demonstrate the methodology and its relevance to complex decisions such as CCS and other energy production projects.
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Background On Ccs

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is the name given to a number of technologies and processes that capture CO2 from a source (usually a fossil fuel power plant or for industrial processes such as steel, cement and oil refining)(Global CCS Institute, 2016), transport this CO2 and inject it into deep geologic formations for long-term storage (Meadowcroft & Langhelle, 2010). It is one mitigation method among many aimed at addressing climate change (Rackley, 2010) and is expected to contribute more than 20% of global CO2 reductions (Sara et al., 2015). The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) had dedicated significant time to researching CCS and better understanding how it can play a part in mitigating climate change, stating that it is needed as part of the “portfolio of mitigation actions” (IPCC, 2005). Others have echoed the need for CCS in meeting CO2 emission reduction targets such as the Energy Technologies Institute and the Climate Change Committee (IEA, 2013; IPCC, 2014; Utility Week, 2016).

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