The Water Working Group (WWG) is a team of experts from government, academia, and industry comprising members of NETL’s Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships (RCSPs). Our mission is to address stakeholder concerns regarding emerging carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology and potential interactions with local and regional water resources.
Members of the WWG represent different regions of North America, each with its own unique set of challenges surrounding water resources and CCS. We are evaluating the opportunities and challenges as various CO2 capture and storage strategies are assessed. The RCSP WWG is working to find technically and economically feasible answers to questions such as:
What additional water resources does CCS technology require?
Will water be extracted during CO2 storage?
What are the characteristics of water in deep underground rock?
How are sources of drinking water protected?
What are the potential methods to manage extracted waters?
Can there be beneficial uses for extracted waters?
The WWG strives to provide valuable information and quality outreach materials for all interested stakeholders. To learn more, contact:
Ryan J. Klapperich
Water Working Group Coordinator
Research Scientist
Energy Environmental Research Center
(701) 777-5000
wwg@undeerc.org
Andrea T. McNemar
Project Manager
Department of Energy
National Energy Technology Laboratory
(304) 285-2024
wwg@undeerc.org
The WWG is organized by the Plains CO2 Reduction (PCOR) Partnership led by the Energy & Environmental Research Center at the University of North Dakota. The PCOR Partnership is one of seven regional partnerships under the U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory’s RCSP Initiative.
DOE has seven regional partnerships tasked with evaluating a variety of CO2 storage strategies to determine which is best suited for specific regions of the country. The WWG is organized by the Plains CO2 Reduction (PCOR) Partnership led by the Energy & Environmental Research Center at the University of North Dakota (image from Peck and others, 2012)
Peck, W., Buckley, T., Battle, E., Grove, M., compilers and creators, 2012, Plains CO2 Reduction (PCOR) Partnership atlas (4th ed.): Prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory and the PCOR Partnership, Grand Forks, North Dakota, Energy & Environmental Research Center, 124 p.
Klapperich, R.J., Nakles, D.V., Peck, W.D., Gorecki, C.D., Steadman, E.N., Harju, J.A., and McNemar, A.T., 2013a, Carbon capture and storage—protecting freshwat r resources: Plains CO2 Reduction (PCOR) Partnership Phase III Task 14 Deliverable D99 for U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory Cooperative Agreement No. DE-FC26-05NT42592, Grand Forks, North Dakota, Energy & Environmental Research Center, March.
Klapperich, R.J., Gorecki, C.D., and McNemar, A.T., 2011, Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership Water Working Group: Plain CO2 Reduction (PCOR) Partnership updated value-added fact sheet for U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory Cooperative Agreement No. DE-FC26-05NT42592, Grand Forks, North Dakota, Energy & Environmental Research Center, June.
Klapperich, R.J., Gorecki, C.D., Sorensen, J.A., Steadman, E.N., Harju, J.A., McNemar, A.T., and Nakles, D.V., 2013b, Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership Water Working Group white paper on the nexus of water and carbon capture and storage [abs.]: Carbon Management Technology Conference, Alexandria, Virginia, October 21–23, 2013.
