Site Characterization for Geologic Carbon Storage of CO2 from a Direct Reduced Iron Plant
Abstract
Decarbonizing the industrial sector of our economy to meet climate goals and slow climate change is a challenging prospect. To meet these goals, industrial plants that process ethanol, fertilizer, cement, and iron and steel will need to either decarbonize or capture and sequester their CO2 emissions. The primary objective of this study is decarbonization of iron processing through direct reduced iron (DRI) with CCS, in place of a traditional blast furnace. Iron ore is reduced to elemental iron by exposing the ore to a high-temperature (800-1200 °C) syngas (H2 and CO) in a reactor vessel. The reaction releases CO2, water, and unreacted syngas. The CO2 and water are separated and unreacted syngas is recycled back into the reactor. This separation results in a source of low pressure, wet, nearly pure CO2 that may be dried, compressed, transported and injected for permanent geologic sequestration or used for other industrial needs.
This analysis is a case study ("focus project") under the auspices of the Carbon Utilization and Storage Partnership (CUSP; U.S. Department of Energy Award DE-FE0031837). We are assessing the carbon storage potential of local subsurface geology near a proposed DRI plant in southern Utah. The primary objectives of this focused project include: (1) rigorous site characterization and analysis of storage capacity, risks and economic options for CCS, (2) a detailed plan for drilling a stratigraphic well and performing a 3D seismic survey, and (3) comprehensive plans for assembling UIC Class VI and 45Q tax credit applications. The targeted reservoir formation is the Jurassic Navajo Sandstone (SS) at about 6200 ft depth, which is stratigraphically overlain by potential sealing units of evaporite-rich Jurassic Temple Cap and limestone/mudstone-dominated Carmel Formations which, in certain areas, were intruded ~22 m.y.a. by several thousand feet of quartz monzonite laccolith. Preliminary analysis indicate that the Navajo SS in this area is capable of storing at least 15 million tons of CO2. A goal of this study is to facilitate decision making needed to implement commercial-scale geologic carbon storage at a DRI facility. Demonstration of CCS with an iron-processing plant has not been attempted to date, and a goal is to provide a meaningful example for other iron and steel plants.- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2022
- Bibcode:
- 2022AGUFMGC12E0481M