openCCS
A collaboratively developed handbook for delivering CCS projects

Glossary of terms & acronyms for CCS

Table of Contents 
  1. A
  2. B
  3. C 
  4. D
  5. E
  6. F
  7. G
  8. H
  9. I
  10. L
  11. M
  12. N
  13. O
  14. P
  15. Q
  16. R
  17. S
  18. T
  19. U
  20. Z

A | B | C | D | E | F | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A

 
ABLE Alkalinity based on low energy 
Active project A project under construction or in operation
Adsorption (in CCS) A material attracting carbon dioxide  to its surface so it can be captured
AGA American Gas Association
API American Petroleum Institute
ASME American Society of Mechanical Engineers
ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials
Atmosphere The layer of gases surrounding the earth; The gases are mainly nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (around 21%)
   

B

 
bbl  Barrel
BCGA British Compressed Gases Association
BLEVE Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion
Basalt formations Basalts are ancient volcanic rocks such as lava flows that may have porosity and permeability in the fractures or cavities between blocks of solid rock
Bulk CO2 Unprocessed gaseous CO2, with a CO2 content typically in excess of 95%
   

C 

 
CaCO2 Calcium carbonate
CaO Calcium oxide
CAPEX Capital expenditure 
Capture The separation of carbon dioxide from other gases before it is emitted to the atmosphere
CARMA Carbon monitoring for action 
CCGT Combined cycle gas turbine
CCR Carbon capture ready
CCS Carbon capture and storage
CCSR CCS Ready
CCUS Carbon capture, use and storage 
CFR Code of Federal Regulations
CGA Compressed Gas Association
CO Carbon monoxide
CO2 Carbon dioxide
CO2 reuse A practical application of captured, concentrated CO2 that adds value and which can partially offset the cost of CO2 capture as a transitional measure to assist the accelerated uptake of CCS
CO2CRC Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Technologies 
Compressed Put under pressure so that more gas will fit into the same volume; with carbon dioxide it is compressed until it is like a dense fluid
CONCAWE Conservation of clean air and water in Europe
COSHH Control of substances hazardous to health
CR Chloroprene
Critical point The temperature and pressure point above which carbon dioxidegas and liquid phases cannot exist as separate phases
CSA Canadian Standards Association
Cu Copper
   

D

 
Depleted gas fields Underground rock where most of the gas has been extracted from between the grains of rock
Depleted oil fields Underground rock where most of the oil has been extracted from between the grains of rock
DMEPEG Dimethyl Ether of Polyethylene Glycol
DOE Department of Energy (United States)
Dry ice Solid carbon dioxide
DWTT Drop Weight Tear Testers
   

E

 
EAF Electric Arc Furnace
ECBMP Enhanced Coal Bed Methane Production
EGR Enhanced Gas Recovery
EGS Enhanced Geothermal Systems
EIGA European Industrial Gases Association
Enhanced gas recovery Incremental gas recovery from depleted conventional gas reservoirs
EOR Enhanced Oil Recovery
EOS Equations of State
EPDM Ethylene-Propylene
ESOV Emergency Shut-off Valve
ETS Emission Trading Scheme
EU SACS European Union Saline Aquifer Carbon Dioxide Storage Programme
   

F

 
FGD Flue gas desulphurisation
FKM Fluoroelastomer
Fossil fuel Oil, gas or coal are fossil fuels, formed over millions of years from the remains of plants and animals (fossils); They are hydrocarbons
   

G

 
G8 The Group of Eight (forum of senior offical representatives from France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, Russia)
GHG GreenHouse Gas
Greenfields (in CO2 storage) Geological formations where no hydrocarbon production has occured within the potential storage area; (in CO2 capture) New facilities where no previously exists
Greenhouse gas Gases in the atmosphere that keep the earth the right temperature to support life by trapping heat (infrared radiation)
   

H

 
H2 Hydrogen
HDR Hot Dry Rocks
HFR Hot Fractured Rocks
HSE Health and Safety Executive
HSL Health and Safety Laboratory
   

I

 
IEA International Energy Association
IGCC  Integrated gasification combined cycle
IGC Code  International Gas Carrier Code
IIR Butyl isobutene isoprene rubber
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
   

L

 
LCA Life Cycle Assessment
LNG Liquified Natural Gas
LOC Loss of Containment
LPG Liquified Petroleum Gas
   

M

 
MAOP Maximum allowable operating pressure
Membranes (in CCS)  Thin sheets of material that can separate carbon dioxide from other gases – acts like a sieve
Mineralisation Is a natural form of geologically storing CO2  by the very slow reaction between CO2  and naturally occurring minerals, such as magnesium silicate, to form the corresponding mineral carbonate
MMSCFD Million standard cubic feet per day
Mt Million tonnes
MW Megawatt
MWth Megawatt thermal
MSS Manufacturers Standardisation Society
   

N

 
NACE National Association of Corrosion Engineers
Natural gas Gas stored underground; It consists largely of methane, but can also contain other hydrocarbons, water, hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide. These other substances are separated before the methane is put into a pipeline or tanker
NBR Nitrile rubber
NETL National Energy Technology Laboratory (United States)
NFPA National Fire Protection Association
NGO Non Governmental Organisation
NGCC Natural Gas Combined Cycle
Ni Nickel
NIOSH National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology
NORSOK Norsk Sokkels Konkuranseposisjon – Standards developed by the Norwegian Technology Centre
   

O

 
OECD Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Oxy-fuel combustion capture Burning a fuel in oxygen-rich gas. The oxygen is separated from the air, and it makes it easier to separate the carbon dioxide from the waste gases
   

P

 
PA Polyamide
Pb Lead
PCTFE Polychlorotrifluoroethylene
PEEK Polyetheretherketone
P-h diagram Pressure-enthalpy
PHMSA Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Adminstration
Pore space Tiny space between the grains of a rock, usually occupied by a fluid of some sort, often water
Post-combustion capture Separating carbon dioxide from other waste gases after a fuel is burnt
PP Polypropylene
ppmvd Parts per million volumetric dry
Pre-combustion capture Reacting the fuel to form a syngas made up of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen; Carbon dioxide can be captured before the hydrogen is then burnt. It is also possible to convert the carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide and capture that as well, leaving only the hydrogen as a fuel to burn
PSR Pipeline Safety Regulations
PTFE Polytetrafluoroethylene
PVTF Vinylidene polyfluoride
   

Q

 
QA Quality Assurance
   

R

 
REDOX Reduction-oxidisation reaction
RGD Rapid Gas Depressurisation
ROSOV Remotely Operated Shut Off Valve
   

S

 
SACROC Scurry Area Canyon Reef Operators Committee
Saline formations Underground rock where water occupies the tiny spaces between the grains of rock
SCADA Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition
Seal A rock formation which it is very difficult for carbon dioxide and other subsurface fluids to move through under normal conditions
 Shale formations  Is characterised by thin horizontal layers of rock with very low permeability, especially in the vertical direction; It is the most common sedimentary rock
SLOD Significant likelihood of death
SLOT Specified level of toxicity
 Solid hydrate  When an excess of CO2  is present in relatively cold ocean water (below 8°C) a solid hydrate can form consisting of six water molecules that make a cage around one CO2  molecule
Solvent (in CCS) A liquid that can soak up carbon dioxide
Storage site An underground rock formation that can store carbon dioxide; Commonly this is deep sedimentary and porous rock, where there are tiny spaces between the rock grains for the carbon dioxide
Sublimation point A temperature/pressure combination at which solid can vaporise directly into gas e.g. !78.5°C at 1 atmosphere
Supercritical Above the critical point where carbon dioxide has some characteristics of a gas and some of a liquid
Synfuels Synthetic fuels
Syngas Synthetic or systhesis gas
   

T

 
Triple point The temperature & pressure where carbon dioxide exists as a gas, liquid and solid simultaneously
T-s diagram Temperature-entropy diagram
   

U

 
UNFCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
UHMWPE  Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene
UN-IMO United Nations International Maritime Organisation
Urea yield boosting Natural gas used as the feedstock for urea production
   

Z

 
Zn  Zinc