Lignite is Greece's main fossil fuel source and accounts about 30 % of primary energy consumption. The Ptolemais lignite fired power complex in Western Macedonia-Greece uses lignite and it is the main Greek power generation complex. The lignite thermoelectric power generation units in Ptolemais are among the most polluting in the European Union in terms of relative emissions per produced KWh, releasing significant quantities of green-house effect gases, CO2, CH4, and toxic ash and dust. However, the worst coal fired power stations in absolute emissions causing severe environmental problems are in Central and North Europe. All the coal fired power stations in Europe need upgrading of their technology. Hence, the Canadian industry has an ideal opportunity to export field tested Canadian carbon capture technology.
Prinos sour oil fields in Eastern Macedonia-Greece are mature oil fields with declining oil production approaching the field economic limit. Water-flooding has been implemented to the Prinos oil field from the production start-up. High residual oil saturation indicates significant EOR potential by injection of gases, such as CO2 and H2S, which may exceed 100 MM Bbls of recoverable oil.
Synergies of an initial coal bed methane production followed by lignite gasification or oxy-combustion and CO2 sequestration in the Prinos fields combined with enhanced oil recovery (EOR) can be examined. The proposed carbon capture and sequestration technology is an improved one but similar to the Weybourne EOR and CO2 sequestration project in Canada/US, which is combined with lignite gasification in North Dakota, USA and it is valuable technological experience for European projects.
The Carbon capture technology for the Ptolemais-Prinos lignite gasification and EOR/CO2 sequestration will solve the severe environmental problems by eliminating the lignite ash and dust and the released of green-house gases in the atmosphere in Ptolemais, while significant incremental Prinos petroleum production will be recovered.
The implementation of the proposed technology will allow CO2 sequestration from future coal fired power plants in Eastern Macedonia-Greece using indigenous coal. Additional environmental benefits of the Ptolemais-Prinos project may include CO2 sequestration of the CO2 emissions from the industrial area of Thessaloniki in central Macedonia-Greece.
The compliance to Kyoto protocol obligations by Greece and other European Union countries is unachievable without the implementation of the carbon capture technology in power stations. The approved plans to build new hard coal power plans without carbon capture is a step to the wrong direction, which instead of reducing will increase at an increased rate the emission of green-house gases at national level.
Geothermal power plants can provide the required expansion in power generation capacity and replace partially existing coal fired power stations. Geothermal energy is a renewable energy with zero carbon foot-print. The Greek geothermal power generation may exceed 4 GW and the relevant reduction in CO2 emissions to the atmosphere may exceed 30 metric tonnes CO2 per annum by replacing coal fired power plants.
CO2 sequestration in countries with small number of depleted oil and gas reservoirs such as Greece may seem difficult. However, even in this case there are viable options.
