**Greenhouse Gases Capturing and Utilization**

**1** 

**Carbon Dioxide: Capturing and Utilization** 

*2National Petrochemical Company, Petrochemical Research and Technology Co* 

The global warming issue is one of the most important environmental issues that impacts on

One person emits about 20 tons of CO2 per year. Combustion of most carbon-containing substances produces CO2. Energy utilization in modern societies today is based on combustion of carbonaceous fuels, which are dominated by the three fossil fuels: coal, petroleum, and natural gas. Complete oxidation or combustion of any carbon-based organic

Carbon dioxide makes up just 0.035 percent of the atmosphere, but is the most abundant of the greenhouse gases (GHG) which include methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, and CFCs. All of the greenhouse gases play a role in protecting the earth from rapid loss of heat during the nighttime hours, but abnormally high concentrations of these gases are thought to cause overall warming of the global climate. Governments around the world are now pursuing strategies to halt the rise in concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (Climate Change 2007). Presently it is estimated that more than 30 billion metric tons of CO2 is generated annually by the human activities in the whole world. It is reported that approximately 80 percent of the total which is about 24 billion tons is unfortunately originated from only 20 countries. Table 1 shows a list of the most contributed countries in CO2 emissions. In addition to the efforts for reduction of CO2, a new technology to collect and store CO2 is being aggressively developed. The technology is so called CCS which means Carbon dioxide Capture & Storage. Many scientists have concluded that the observed global climate change is due to the greenhouse gas effect, in which man-made greenhouse gases alter the amount of thermal energy stored in the Earth's atmosphere, thereby increasing atmospheric temperatures. The greenhouse gas produced in the most significant quantities is carbon dioxide. The primary source of man-made CO2 is combustion of fossil fuels. Stabilizing the concentration of atmospheric CO2 will likely require a variety of actions including a reduction in CO2 emissions. Since the Industrial Age, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has risen from about 280 ppm to 377ppm, a 35 percent increase. The concentration of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere is approximately 391 ppm by volume as of 2011 and rose by 2.0 ppm/yr during 2000-2009. Forty years earlier, the rise was only 0.9 ppm/yr, showing not only increasing concentrations, but also a rapid acceleration of concentrations. The increase of concentration

from pre-industrial concentrations has again doubled in just the last 31 years.

**1. Introduction** 

matter produces CO2.

the very foundations of human survival.

Ali Kargari1 and Maryam Takht Ravanchi2

*Islamic Republic of Iran* 

*1Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic)*
