CO2 Sequestration Increases Emissions of Other Pollutants, Study Says

Sequestering carbon dioxide from power plants may actually increase the pollutants released into the atmosphere, a study in the Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control reports. Compressing the gas for storage, transporting it to a reservoir, and pumping it deep underground all require energy, causing a coal-fired power plant that sequesters its CO₂ to burn 30 percent more coal than a non-sequestering plant, the study concluded. While these plants’ CO₂ emissions are 71 percent to 78 percent lower, they produce 40 percent more nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides. These chemicals cause acid rain, water pollution, and destruction of the ozone layer, leading scientists to question the environmental benefits of sequestering CO₂ underground, a process that is being promoted by the coal industry and some environmentalists.