EdinburghX: Climate Change: Carbon Capture and Storage

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

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

"This course made me aware about the technology of Carbon Capture and Storage and how it is vital to combat climate change. I now intend to do PhD in a topic specialising in the Geological aspects of CCS." - Mohammad Waleed

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.