Reducing US Coal Emissions Through Biomass and Carbon Capture Would Boost Jobs

While the need for solutions to the impending consequences of rising global temperatures has become increasingly urgent, many people have expressed concern over the loss of jobs while current technologies, such as coal-fired power plants are being phased out. A new study published on November 1 in the newspaper Joule has exploited the figures associated with the consequences of reduced employment in coal-fired power plants while using bioenergy techniques coupled with carbon capture and storage (BECCS). The model indicates that the BECCS approach would retain not only the 40,000 jobs currently held by the coal industry, but would create 22,000 new jobs in the forestry and transportation sectors by the mid-1990s. century.

"In its ambitious attempt to limit global warming to less than 2 ° C, BECCS is considered the dominant technology, but its unknown effects on the environment and society have been the focus of a in-depth review, "says Piera Patrizio, first author, researcher in ecosystem services. and management at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Laxenburg, Austria. "Our analysis shows that acting now and investing in this emissions mitigation strategy can be beneficial for employment in the coal sector in the United States."

BECCS is a proposed technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. It combines carbon capture and storage, in which CO₂ is collected from major emission sources such as power plants and injected into underground geological formations, using more and more biomass, such as herbal materials, as a source of fuel. Proponents of BECCS predict that more than 99% of the carbon dioxide stored during geological sequestration will probably remain in place for more than 1,000 years. They say this approach is necessary because CO levels₂ those that have already been released are too high to be absorbed by conventional carbon sinks such as trees and soil.

In the new study, the researchers studied in detail the main processes and steps involved in the potential energy supply chains of the US coal fleet. Specifically, they examined the supply of sustainable forest resources in biomass, as well as the design and cost of transport and CO injection infrastructure.₂ in suitable geological sites.

"We also took into account the fact that biomass must be grown and harvested sustainably to be considered carbon neutral and thus generate negative emissions," says Sabine Fuss, co-author of the Research Institute. Mercator on Global Commons. Climate change in Berlin. "This aspect is sometimes overlooked in studies on the deployment of BECCS."

Investigators used a number of models to analyze existing data, including a biophysical model called the World Forest Model; a techno-economic model called BeWhere, which optimizes the technological development of American coal, including the logistics of raw materials; and the Impact Model on Employment and Economic Development, which they used to estimate the impact of technological development on employment.

This type of analysis has certain limitations. On the one hand, it does not consider the potential substitution of coal for other low-carbon options, such as renewable energies; thus, it reflects a limited image of the future economy. On the other hand, the models do not include any equilibrium in the economy, but are an upward optimization of the supply chain for specific technologies. Depending on these problems, the employment results of BECCS could differ in terms of job creation. Further analysis may therefore seek to highlight the socio-economic effects of replacing renewable technologies with existing fossil fuel-based capacity or of detecting greater macroeconomic effects of deploying low-carbon technologies. the researchers said.

"For mitigation measures to be better accepted, policymakers should subscribe to strategies that offer other benefits to society, such as employment," says co-author Kasparas Spokas of Princeton University. "The United States is a very interesting case to test our approach given the current economic, political and environmental situation.This study shows how investment in climate change mitigation could actually facilitate the transition of climate change. coal workers, who would otherwise face brutal job losses due to the withdrawal of the coal fleet by 2050. "

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More information:
JoulePatrizio et al. "Reducing Coal Emissions in the United States Can Boost Jobs." DOI: 10.1016 / j.joule.2018.10.004, https://www.cell.com/joule/fulltext/S2542-4351(18)30466-5