Combined geothermal and CO2 sequestration in the Basal Cambrian Sandstone Unit (BCSU) in Alberta, Canada

Abstract

Under the climate change crisis evolving from greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, society is seeking ways to produce energy with zero or minimal emissions. Currently, carbon capture, utilization, and storage and low or zero emission renewable energy sources are options that are being considered to reach our goals to constrain global warming. Optimal technologies would be those that both sequester GHG and generate energy, for example, combined geothermal energy production with carbon dioxide sequestration. Here, we expand on previous work on carbon dioxide plume geothermal processes where we examine the potential to combine both underground CO2 sequestration and geothermal energy harvesting from the low temperature (∼100 °C) and low permeability Basal Cambrian Sandstone Unit in Alberta, Canada. In the proposed process, carbon dioxide injection is used to produce hot brine to surface with the goals of keeping the carbon dioxide sequestered while realizing geothermal energy at surface. Consistent with prior work, the results from our study confirm that both CO2 sequestration and geothermal operation is possible and could have commercial value and environmental benefits.

Keywords

• Geothermal energy
• CO2 sequestration
• Combined geothermal and sequestration
• Basal Cambrian Sandstone Unit