Posts Tagged ‘greenhouse gas’

EPA submits Greenhouse Gas rules to White House

Friday, April 23rd, 2010

It will be interesting to watch how the recently submitted EPA rules to the White House drive new dialogue among business leaders on how reporting requirements will affect bottom lines.  How will the new “tailoring rules” ultimately apply?

The Wall Street Journal reports: “EPA officials say the agency wants to finalize the rule by the end of April, but that timetable may slip into May. The EPA said earlier this year that the first phase would likely target facilities that emit more than 75,000 to 100,000 tons of carbon-dioxide equivalent a year starting in 2011. The agency hasn’t yet made clear the exact first-phase threshold.”

Landfills may be particularly impacted and would present a valuable opportunity  for municipal leaders to explore how the SWAP could be implemented to safely and cheaply process landfill gas (LFG) for power.  A recent article from the New York Times delves into the broad potential impact of these rules.

In the United States alone, there were more than 3,500 landfills in operation as documented by the EPA in 1995.  In 2003, we generated 236.2 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW), an increase of 15 percent above 1990 levels and 168 percent above 1980 levels.  The number of landfill gas projects that generate electricity on-site, supply industrial gas-fired boilers, or produce substitute natural gas rules, such as compressed natural gas (CNG) jumped from approximately 400 in 2005 to 519 in 2009.

Many landfills are now accepting large quantities of construction and demolition debris in addition to MSW, which in sufficient quantities results in landfill gases with relatively high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide (H2S).  H2S is generally the byproduct of bacterial decomposition of construction wastes, particularly drywall containing calcium sulfate.   There is an interesting article from Environmental Leader on H2S and potential reporting requirements this month.

Landfill gas cleanup is likely to experience significant growth in the future as a renewable energy option.  Each landfill is normally a stand-alone operation close to an urban location.  Integrating SWAP technology at these locations, it is believed, would require minimal interface activities with existing processes.

www.swapsol.com

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Beyond Copenhagen: Cap & Trade or Carbon Tax? Or what?

Thursday, December 31st, 2009
French President Nicolas Sarkozy

French President Nicolas Sarkozy

The French version of the Supreme Court this week shot down a carbon tax proposal that the Nicolas Sarkozy administration hailed as a fundamental weapon against climate change. The court cited too many loopholes. Today, France’s economic minister is offering a new proposal he says will close many of those loopholes and says the new proposal is a necessary tool to fight CO2 emissions.

As a follow-up to our earlier post looking at the Carbon Offset, we wanted to take a summary look at two other CO2 mitigation plans. Unlike the Carbon Offset, which typically is an industry-driven solution, two others are the so-called “cap & trade” system and the straight carbon tax.   Both require direct involvement from government.

Cap & Trade

What is the so-called “cap & trade” system?  Long in place as a method for managing pollution in Europe, cap & trade is a two-part system where a government sets a cap on the volume of particular greenhouse gases (GHG) (carbon dioxide, mercury, nitrous oxide and sulfur)  can be emitted.  The government then sets up a system where companies can earn “credits” when they emit fewer emissions. Companies can sell these credits to other organizations unable to currently meet their caps.  Proponents of cap & trade contend a government can reach their overall emissions caps at the lowest possible cost.  Critics of cap & trade say the system is flawed, arguing it is cheaper for many companies to purchase the credits rather than invest in technology to reduce their emissions.  Thus, they say, it does nothing to impact CO2 emissions in the long-term and merely serves as an arbitrary tax in the short-term.

Carbon Tax

The other CO2 mitigation proposal is the carbon tax.  Relatively self-explanatory, the carbon tax is an excise tax on the carbon content of fossil fuels (oil, gas, coal).  Those in favor of the carbon tax say it is the simplest and most efficient way of pricing emissions and will quickly spur investment in carbon reduction.  Those against say it is a regressive tax that punishes those smaller companies unable to withstand the penalties and will hurt small business and put people out of work.  Many economists and experts believe the carbon tax should be phased in over time so as to allow companies and organizations adapt.

At the end of the day there are arguments from every angle.  In whatever way CO2 mitigation is achieved, we can rest assured it will take not only determined investment in technology, but also a sustained belief that it is our obligation as people to do what we can to save the environment, and ultimately, ourselves.

www.swapsol.com

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Oil, Natural Gas, the Supply Debate: Where Do We Stand?

Friday, November 20th, 2009

How can the energy future be mapped without data?

Following its annual outlook released the week of Nov. 9,  the IEA repeated its prediction in a CNN report that oil supplies would rise to 105 million barrels by 2030 under current government policy.  Totally false, according to two IEA employees who recently discussed their views in an interview (prompting the IEA to repeat their predictions).  They contend the IEA is feeling pressure from the United States to inflate predictions so the markets don’t fly into a tizzy.  One of them said, “there are fears that panic could spread on the financial markets if the figures were brought down further.”

But there is obviously another force at work that will likely impact the world markets outside he supply question – Congress is considering legislation to mandate lower emissions from industry either through European “cap and trade” schemes or an outright tax.  Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson said in a speech at an APEC summit in Singapore that he advocates for a carbon tax rather than carbon trading.

In a recent Reuters article , Tillerson said that carbon emissions were expected to rise by 1 percent each year for the next two decades.  He said investing in natural gas was one way to slow it down, easing the financial burden on producers.

“Stemming the rise in greenhouse gases is a challenge. One way of expanding supply and reducing emissions is to invest in technologies to bring more natural gas to the Asia Pacific region,” he said.

Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson

Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson

In addition, Tillerson said natural gas usage will likely spike more than 50 percent globally by 2030 and that Asia-Pacific region use alone will rise by 130 percent.

At this year’s Global Refining Strategies Summit in Houston, talk of CO2 legislation and the need for more investment in green technology dominated discussions over the two-day conference.  It wasn’t a question of “if” the U.S. government would make a decision on emissions, but when, as well as what steps industry should take today to prepare.   It is also why presenters from SWAPSOL Corp. earned so much attention with their discovery of converting CO2 into harmless compounds.

SWAPSOL scientists continue their work.  It will be interesting to see how the public dialogue shifts with new attention directed to what actually is possible.

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DISCOVERY TO REDUCE HUMAN IMPACT ON GLOBAL WARMING

Monday, October 26th, 2009

CO2 conversion eliminates industry liability opens door to new energy economy

HOUSTON (Oct. 28, 2009) – Two New Jersey scientists have discovered a simple chemical process to break down carbon dioxide (CO2) and eliminate nuisance pollutants, such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in refining operations. Their discovery could redefine how science looks at energy. SWAPSOL Corp. will present to industry on Oct. 28, “Carbon Focus Day,” at the Global Refining Strategies Summit in Houston.

The invention changes preconceived notions about energy and chemistry. Raymond Stenger, environmental engineer, and James Wasas, an entrepreneurial chemist, developed the Stenger-Wasas Process (SWAP) based on a previously unknown exothermic interaction between H2S and CO2 that eliminates both. The SWAP is independently verified by standard analytical instruments to convert CO2 by more than 99 percent into carbon-sulfur polymers (Carsuls), water and sulfur in the presence of H2S over an abundant and inexpensive catalyst. The SWAP can also recycle waste hydrocarbons (compounds containing carbon and hydrogen) and break down CO2 in a self-sustaining cycle.

“We are building our company around the chemistry,” said Wolf Koch, Ph.D., Director of SWAPSOL Corp. “We are now detailing processes under which we will review potential business relationships with interested parties with intent to launch initial steps next year.”

Thermodynamic and chemical kinetics studies indicate that the SWAP is exothermic, and the heat liberated can be managed and controlled. Independently conducted gas chromatography studies (GC) verified H2S reduction to below 4 ppb.

Eliminating carbon liabilities for industry

By eliminating greenhouse gases, refiners and other carbon-emitters may profit by not polluting and by avoiding carbon penalties. Wasas, SWAPSOL’s chief science officer, predicts the SWAP could also earn carbon credits for those who implement the technology.

“Hydrogen sulfide is the oil and gas industry’s enemy No. 1,” Wasas said. “Tremendous money and energy is required to get rid of H2S, and traditional methods create more hazardous waste, increasing costs and further polluting the environment.”

Hydrogen production, landfill waste potential

The SWAP can be used to purify gas inside landfills prior to combustion, thereby eliminating the harmful release of pollutants into the air. The SWAP-driven sulfur cycle also allows for related reactions that can produce hydrogen from hydrogen sulfide. For refiners this may be a cost-effective solution to recover hydrogen while it may find other applications for fuel cells.

“I can’t tell you how proud we are of the work Jim and I have been able to accomplish,” said Stenger, SWAPSOL’s president. “To be able to make a contribution like this to the world is something I’ve dreamed about for years.”

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