Intermediate technologies towards low-carbon economy. The Greek zeolite CCS outlook into the EU commitments

Technological premises for a successful economical path toward low carbon economy are described. It is attempted to relate fossil fuels (lignite) combustion with the requirements for sustainable energy production in Greece proposing economic, feasible and environmentally friendly methods for minimization of the CO2 problem using innovative techniques for separation, carbon capture and storage (CCS) of this greenhouse gas. CCS constitutes an intermediate perspective to a low carbon energy production. Inexpensive and efficient methods of CCS can be achieved by new physicochemical methodologies enhancing the adsorption driven carbon dioxide capture in zeolite voids or in depleted lignite matrices, eventually by exploitation existing natural Greek deposits. The large scale application of a recently developed method leading to a high CO2-over-N-2 selectivity and adsorption capacity NaKA Zeolite is examined. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.