Siemens Energy and TNO, the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research, have signed an exclusive cooperation agreement aimed at further advancement of amino-acid salt-based carbon capture technology. Siemens is building a pilot facility at the Staudinger power plant operated by E.ON, where it will test its second generation amino-acid carbon capture process under real operating conditions. The process is to be further optimized with respect to power demand and associated costs. For more info, click here.
06/29/2009.
Germany's grand coalition government has reportedly agreed to a scaled-down draft law on carbon dioxide storage. The agreement allows for individual test sites rather than allowing a more comprehensive national framework for CCS. The coalition has spent months wrangling over rules to regulate the efforts of utilities to test and install the technology early enough for large-scale commercial use after 2020. Click here to continue reading.
06/22/2009.
Five years after European and Chinese scientists agreed to collaborate on carbon capture and storage, China's efforts to address emissions from coal combustion are rapidly accelerating. Their first near-zero-emissions coal plant was recently approved and two other pilots are in the works. Early next month, China is hosting a global think tank summit where CCS will feature prominently. To read the entire article, click here.
06/22/2009.
The WBCSD Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSI) released the results of an economic and policy modeling project designed to improve understanding how different carbon policies impact emissions reductions, global trade and regional market shares in the cement sector. The results of the study show that cement production is likely to more than double by 2030 and recommends a sectoral approach to reducing cement-related emissions. Click here for more.
06/05/2009.
U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced plans to restart the country's first clean coal power project, scrapped by the previous Bush administration as too expensive. Under an agreement with the non-profit FutureGen Alliance, the Energy Department will take steps toward developing the first U.S. commercial-scale carbon capture and storage project, to be located in Mattoon, Illinois. The Energy Department expects to spend about $1.07 billion on the project, with $1 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. For further details click here.
Canada's Environment Minister, Jim Prentice, announced that the Government is taking steps towards setting up a Canadian carbon market by moving forward with its Offset System for Greenhouse Gases. The Offset System will enable sectors not covered by planned federal greenhouse gas regulations to obtain tradeable credits through offset projects. Companies subject to the greenhouse gas emissions regulations will then be able to purchase offset credits and use them for compliance with targets. Draft guides outlining propose rules and guidance on the requirements and processes will be published for comment on June 12. For more information, click here.
Norway has announced it will earmark EUR 140 million over five years for CCS projects in selected EU member states. The money is part of the already allocated Norwegian contribution to the EU, but will now be earmarked specifically for developing CCS technology. The announcement was made by Prime Minister Stoltenberg at the Government’s high-level conference Fighting Climate Change with Carbon Capture and Storage in Bergen. Click here for more details.
The US Department of Energy is creating a National Carbon Capture Center. To be located in Wilsonville, Alabama and managed by Southern Company, the NCCC will serve as a test center for emerging technologies capturing CO2 from coal-based power plants. The NCCC is expected to create or sustain nearly 170 jobs that will last the duration of the 5-year project. Current participants in the NCCC project include American Electric Power, Luminant, the Electric Power Research Institute, Arch Coal, Peabody Energy, and RioTinto. To read more, click here.
The administration of Canada Prime Minister Stephen Harper has established a new $1 billion Cdn. (about $878 million U.S.) fund to promote the development of renewable energy and CCS technologies. About $850 million Cdn. of the Clean Energy Fund will go to technology development and demonstration, including $650 million Cdn. for large-scale CCS demonstration projects and $200 million Cdn. for smaller-scale demonstrations of renewable and other alternative energy technologies. For more details, click here.
05/19/2009.
The University College of London (UCL) has received a 675,00 GBP donation from The Crown Estate, Rio Tinto, RPS Group, Schlumberger Carbon Services and Shell for the UCL Carbon Capture Legal Programme. Click here for more details.
05/18/2009.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced that it will make available $2.4 billion in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) to expand and accelerate the deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. Approximately $1.52 billion of the monies will be used to fund a two-part competitive solicitation for large-scale CCS projects at industrial sources such as cement, chemical, steel, and aluminum plants and refineries. Part of that solicitation will focus on the development of beneficial reuse of carbon dioxide (CO2), such as CO2 mineralization and algae production. Click here for details.
05/15/2009.
President Obama's FY 2010 Budget seeks $881.6 million for the Office of Fossil Energy (FE) to support improved energy security and the rapid development of climate-oriented technology. This will include $179.9 million for the FE's Carbon Sequestration Program. Read more here.
05/11/2009.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has released a report providing an initial estimate of the potential to store CO2 underneath 400 million acres of federal lands that are available for lease. According to the report, titled Captured Carbon Dioxide Beneath Federal Lands, the CO2 storage potential is ranges from 126 billion to 375 billion metric tons, with 85% of this potential located west of the Mississippi River. The full report, which complements the DOE’s Carbon Sequestration Atlas of the United States and Canada report issued in November 2008, is available here.
05/08/2009.
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd formally launched the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute at the inaugural meeting of the Institute foundation members in Canberra today. The Institute is being established by the Australian Government to accelerate the deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology globally and the sharing of information. Click here to read the media release.
04/16/2009.
InNOVAcorp welcomes Carbon Sense Solutions Inc. as its newest client. Read the announcement here.
04/15/2009.
A consortium led by Enbridge Inc. said on Wednesday that it is ready to start a test project for injecting carbon dioxide from industrial operations into briny underground water reservoirs in Alberta. The 38-company Alberta Saline Aquifier Project said it is moving ahead with the second of three phases, identifying the Wabamun region west of Edmonton as a prime location for a C$30 million to C$50 million pilot project. Read more about it here.
04/08/2009.
3/31/2009.
3/31/2009/
3/28/2009.
Oil to stay dominant, but producers turning green - A crash in oil has confirmed the dominance of fossil fuels, OPEC ministers and other energy producers said on Thursday, but they also stated their commitment to fighting the pollution they generate. For details click here.
3/28/2009.
Carbon Sense Solutions Inc. signed an agreement with InNOVAcorp to become a client of their internationally recognized High Performance Incubation (HPi) business model. InNOVAcorp helps high potential early stage Nova Scotia companies commercialize their technologies and succeed in the global marketplace by providing hands-on business advisory services. Learn more about InNOVAcorp here.
3/25/2009.
EU leaders have agreed to spend 1.05 billion euros on developing carbon capture and storage plants. The funding would go to projects in seven EU countries: Germany, the UK, Poland, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and France. Five would each receive 180 million euros, while the Italian project would get 100 million euros and the French one 50 million euros. For more info click here.
3/25/2009.
Carbon Capture and Sequestration activity received a boost from the US federal stimulus bill (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) which will increase federal CCS support in the US by 70% to over US$8 billion for demonstration and deployment of CCS projects. Read the details of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act here.
2/20/2009.
The European Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage Laboratory Infrastructure (ECCSEL) initiative has announced that it will receive 81 million Euros in funding to set up a research infrastructure. It will result in 15 joint labs set in 5 countries, with a third located in Norway. Check out the ECCSEL website for more information.
2/18/2009.
Zurich Financial Services Group has introduced Carbon Capture and Sequestration Liability Insurance and Geological Sequestration Financial Assurance. Find out more about Zurich's CCS products here.
1/20/2009.
Germany's RWE NPower has declared it's opening a test CCS facility by the end of September. The power generator and utility company says it will attempt to capture carbon dioxide as coal is burned at its plant in Didcot, Oxford in the UK. Track progress on the project here.
9/24/2008.
6/6/2008
British Columbia's largest emitter, Spectra Energy Transmission West (SETW) receives a $3.4 million provincial grant to explore options to store 1 Mt/yr of acid gas and CO2 in saline formation near Fort Nelson.
5/26/2008
The Australian Labour party moves to pass the world's first legislative framework for CO2 storage. Offshore storage as early as Dec. 2008. Track the latest regulatory developments here.
5/17/2008
The US Department of Energy (US DoE) announces $126.6 million in funding for CCS demonstrations as part of the third phase of the WESTCARB and MRCSP regional partnership programs. Track US DoE regional partnership developments here.
5/6/2008
Carbon Sense Solutions joins CCS discussions at the 7th Annual Carbon Capture and Sequestration Conference in Pittsburgh, PA. Contact Robert Niven to schedule a meeting.
5/5-8/2008
4/24/2008
4/3/2008
Enbridge proposes alternate value added CCS process - petroleum coke transportation for SAGD.
3/28/2008
CBC Radio interviews Robert Niven of Carbon Sense Solutions on the recently announced Canadian federal CCS legislation.
3/10/2008
PointCarbon.com reports that US Governor of Wyoming, Dave Freudenthal, calls on Washington to set carbon prices and regulations to advance CCS deployment.
3/7/2008
CleanTech reports on Carbon Sense Solutions' innovative CO2 sequestering concrete technology, CO2 Accelerated Concrete Curing.
3/6/2008
Robert Niven presents "Concrete Solutions to Carbon Capture and Storage" at the Climate Change Atlantic 2008 conference in Halifax, NS. Receives media coverage from the Canadian Press.
3/4-5/2008
Carbon Sense Solutions joins Nova Scotia Minister of Environment and Labour, Mark Parent, on the Environmental Trade Mission to Brazil.
2/18-24/2008
Indian oil giant, ONGC, announces a joint CCS and CDM development agreement with the Norwegian CCS pioneer, StatoilHydro at the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit.
2/7/2008
Enbridge Inc. announces the launch of the Alberta Saline Aquifer Project (ASAP), an industry led initiative of 19 corporations to characterize the CO2 storage potential of this promising GHG sink by the end of 2008.
2/4/2008
Facing large cost overruns, the US Department of Energy is set to cancel the $1.8 billion FutureGen Clean Coal project. US Energy Secretary, Samuel Bodman, has elected to redistribute the funds to competing CCS projects.
1/31/2008
The Canada-Alberta ecoENERGY Carbon Capture and Storage Task Force releases new findings and recommends $2 billion in new federal and provincial funding to support early CCS opportunities in Canada.
1/31/2008
The Canada-Alberta ecoENERGY Carbon Capture and Storage Task Force releases new findings and recommends $2 billion in new federal and provincial funding to support early CCS opportunities in Canada.
1/31/2008
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announces the world's largest CCS project as one component of the ambitious Masdar Initiative. Abu Dhabi Future Energy Co. will manage the $3 billion project, which aims to reduce 6 to 8 million tons of CO2 emissions each year.
1/28/2008
The Canadian province of Alberta releases its 2008 Climate Change Strategy. The report identifies Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) as the province's "greatest potential to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions".
1/24/2008
Robert Niven, President of Carbon Sense Solutions, attended the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP-13) in Bali, Indonesia as a delegate with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
12/3-14/2007
Carbon Sense Solutions is proud to have participated at the 3rd G8 Workshop on Early Opportunities for Carbon Capture and Storage in Calgary, AB. Robert Niven collaborated with the world’s leading experts to draft CCS deployment recommendations for the G8 Summit.
11/26-28/2007
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns of potential irreversible consequences of global warming in the 4th Assessment Report on Climate Change (AR4).
11/17/2007
Carbon Sense successfully completes the third annual hazardous chemical management contract for the Montreal Neurological Institute.
11/25/2007
Carbon Sense Solutions joins the Environmental Services Association of Nova Scotia (ESANS).
10/17/2007
The Guardian and NY Times report on the cement industry’s global warming contribution and commitment to lowering its GHG emission.
10/12,26/2007
Robert Niven, President of Carbon Sense Solutions, introduces its Technical Advisory Board.
10/1/2007
Carbon Sense Solutions provides Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technological solutions and consulting services to assist in the global effort to limit climate change.
We deliver a range of technical consulting services to private sector and government clients for the deployment of CCS projects or launch of new CCS services and products.
We offer clients with the best available strategic advice for the delivery of their CCS projects from concept to implementation. Our expert technical and policy reputation is backed by experience in technology research and development, involvement in international climate change policy and successful industrial project management.
Our
CO2 Accelerated Concrete Curing technology, currently undergoing industrial trials, incorporates a custom CCS solution for the global concrete sector, which not only reduces CO2 emissions but improves concrete mechanical properties and production costs.
We understand that today’s climate change initiatives, particularly CCS projects, often demand a multidisciplinary approach. As such, Carbon Sense Solutions has developed partnerships with some of the leading specialists who are contributing to global CCS deployment.
