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Climate Change: Carbon Capture and Storage

Explore the technology that can provide a long-term solution to protect our atmosphere from an excess of carbon dioxide, in the context of global energy, our use of fossil fuels, and climate change.

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Starts Jul 23
Ends Sep 30
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Estimated 5 weeks
2–3 hours per week
Self-paced
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Free
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Climate Change: Carbon Capture and Storage

About this course

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The atmosphere is a shared resource and the amount of greenhouse gases it can absorb is a finite resource. This introductory course to the technology of Carbon Capture and Storage is designed for a wider audience with an interest in energy, sustainability and climate change.

The aim of Carbon Capture and Storage is to achieve

  • Deep reductions in carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere
  • Unlock carbon negative solutions to achieve a neutral carbon balance to the atmosphere in the 21st century

Carbon Capture and Storage makes cheap, widely available fossil fuels ‘safe to use’ in the context of the Paris Climate Change agreement of 2015. It prevents their carbon dioxide emissions from entering the atmosphere to store them permanently and safely underground.

The course is taught by a team of leading academics at the University of Edinburgh with decades of experience in this field. It aims to bridge the gap between the forefront of the latest developments in science, engineering, geology, policy and economics, and the wider public.

The aim is to help you understand this technology objectively and why it is so important in our efforts against climate change. We hope the course will make you want to find out more about climate change mitigation options and that you will continue to further educate yourself in this area.

At a glance

  • Language: English
  • Video Transcript: English

What you'll learn

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Regardless of your background, the course will teach you the key elements to help you better understand

  • how to protect the atmosphere with the technology of Carbon Capture and Storage, often called CCS, from an excess of carbon dioxide
  • the fundamental drivers to make fossil fuels ‘safe to use’ in the context of the Paris Climate Change agreement of 2015
  • key sectors of the global economy where CCS can contribute to deep reductions in emissions
  • the uniqueness of CCS to complement other low-carbon technologies
  • how CCS can unlock carbon negative solutions, which will need to be used before mid-century
  • the principles of the technologies currently used to stop carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere,
  • the key elements of geology for permanently, and safely, disposing of carbon dioxide underground
  • the international state of play today
  • the scale of the industry in the 21st century

Syllabus

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Block 1 - Climate drivers

  • Introduction to the course
  • Global warming
  • The Carbon Budget of our Atmosphere
  • CCS in a nutshell
  • Carbon Neutrality
  • Conclusions and Graded Test

Block 2 - CCS across the Whole Economy

  • Welcome to Block 2
  • At what stage is CCS ?
  • Heavy Industries and Manufacturing
  • Decarbonising Global Energy
  • Hydrogen
  • Electricity
  • Conclusions and Graded Test

Block 3 - Capturing Carbon

  • Welcome to Block 3
  • Combustion
  • Post-combustion capture
  • Capture by Oxyfuel Combustion
  • Pre-combustion capture
  • Carbon Dioxide Utilisation
  • Carbon negative technologies
  • Conclusions and Graded Test

Block 4 - Geological Carbon Storage

  • Welcome to Block 4
  • The transport of carbon dioxide
  • Why Geological Storage?
  • Rocks for Geological Carbon Storage
  • Reservoirs, seals and traps
  • Storage in aquifers and depleted oil fields
  • Trapping the carbon dioxide
  • Leakage and monitoring
  • Conclusions and graded test

Block 5 - Future Prospects

  • Welcome to Block 5
  • Global Storage capacity
  • CO2 pollution and waste disposal
  • Future developments
  • A global industry
  • Common Myths and Misconceptions
  • Conclusions and Graded Test

About the instructors

Frequently Asked Questions

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Do I need math, science or engineering skills to take this course?
No, the course is aimed at a very wide audience. While we may sometimes show you, for example, basic chemistry, this will be at the level of a secondary school student.

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