UT-Austin to Host Carbon Capture and Storage Conference
October 1, 2014
Event: The 12th international Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies conference (GHGT-12), focusing on global efforts to capture and control emissions of greenhouse gases.
When: October 5-9
Where: Austin Convention Center, Austin, Texas. Map and directions can be found at www.austinconventioncenter.com/directions/directions.htm
Who may attend: Members of the media can attend the conference for free. Contact the communications coordinator, Lauryn Feil, at Lauryn.feil@austin.utexas.edu to receive a press pass before Oct. 3.
The University of Texas at Austin will host the world’s leading conference on carbon capture and storage research, the 12th international Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies conference (GHGT-12), Oct. 5-9, 2014. The GHGT-12 conference, held every two years, brings together scientific, industrial and policy communities from all over the world to exchange new knowledge, information and ideas on greenhouse gas mitigation issues. These worldwide experts will discuss research technologies that will aid society in making informed decisions about greenhouse gas emissions to help reduce the carbon footprint around the world.
Sharon Mosher, dean of the Jackson School of Geosciences, and Sharon L. Wood, dean of the Cockrell School of Engineering, will welcome the conference in October as leaders of UT-Austin colleges whose faculty members and students work to keep environmental research a top priority.
“It is exciting that the attention of the international scientific community will be focused on The University of Texas at Austin during this important event,” Mosher said. “Hosting this summit really crystallizes the university’s role as an international leader on the issue.”
The main focus of the conference series is assessing developments in technology that could decrease greenhouse gas emissions, particularly in the field of carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS), which is the process of capturing waste carbon dioxide from sources, such as fossil fuel plants, and typically storing it underground so it does not enter the atmosphere.
Policymakers will make important decisions in the near future regarding the fate of large-scale, billion-dollar demonstration plants; the ongoing and contentious debate about the role of CCS and other measures designed to foster a sustainable energy future; and how to effectively communicate the importance of CCS research and development to the public.
The University of Texas at Austin plays a prominent role in climate change research, recently receiving a $12 million grant for carbon capture and storage research. The selection of Austin to serve as the host city for GHGT-12 reflects the university’s worldwide prominence as a thought leader in greenhouse gas control technologies.
Researchers from the university led the first American demonstration project of carbon capture at an industry-sized scale, pioneered scrubbing technologies to separate greenhouse gases from power plant emissions, and have trained scientists and engineers from around the world on advanced CCS technologies.
“We are honored to host and lead the GHGT-12 conference, and to welcome attendees from around the world to Austin,” Wood said. “UT-Austin faculty members and students have long been at the forefront of carbon capture and storage research, and our engineers and scientists are committed to developing and advancing technologies that decrease greenhouse gas emissions.”
For more information, contact: University Communications, Office of the President, 512-471-3151