Carbon Sequestration

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Context

On April 29, 2022, Oil India Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Digboi Forest Division of the Assam Forest Department for a project on Carbon Sequestration and Restoration of Degraded Forest Land in the Upper Dihing Reserved Forest (west block) of the Digboi Forest Division. Vasundhara, OIL's CSR project, has spearheaded the campaign.

The need

• As global warming worsens and humanity continues to generate greenhouse gases, the concept of investing in artificial carbon sequestration techniques is gaining traction.
• To avoid the worst consequences of climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that countries would need to remove between 100 billion and 1 trillion tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere this century, significantly more than can be absorbed by just growing more trees.

Carbon Sequestration

• The long-term storage of carbon in plants, soils, geologic formations, and the ocean is known as carbon sequestration.
• Carbon sequestration refers to the storing of carbon that happens naturally and as a result of manmade actions.

Types

1. Terrestrial Carbon Sequestration

CO2 from the atmosphere is collected by trees and plants through photosynthesis and stored as carbon in soils and biomass in a process known as terrestrial carbon sequestration (tree trunks, branches, foliage, and roots)

2. Geologic Carbon Sequestration

CO2 may be stored in a variety of places, including oil and gas reservoirs, unmineable coal seams, salty formations, and high-organic-content shale formations.

3. Ocean Carbon Sequestration

Large volumes of CO2 are absorbed, released, and stored by the oceans. This may be accomplished in two ways: by increasing the productivity of ocean biological systems by iron fertilisation, or by pumping CO2 into the deep sea.

Challenges

• A rising number of businesses are investing in so-called engineered carbon removal methods. However, these technologies are still in their infancy and will require a major upgrade before they can be fully utilised.
• Carbon removal methods are still too costly to be widely used. Artificial carbon sequestration is expensive, energy-intensive, and unproven, with no additional advantages.
• Deep below, carbon dioxide might be stored. Reservoir design flaws, rock cracks, and tectonic processes all have the potential to release the gas held in the reservoir into the ocean or atmosphere, resulting in unforeseen consequences like ocean acidification.

What is the potential?

• In comparison to artificial sequestration, natural sequestration is a gradual process. As a result, it may be used in conjunction with natural sequestration to reach the targets necessary to combat climate change.
• As a result of stored carbon in subterranean chambers such as ancient oil reservoirs, aquifers, and coal seams, agricultural yields have improved and oil recovery has improved.
• This new and developing industry is drawing private investors and venture capitalists, who can help create jobs.

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1821644