Is capturing carbon directly from power plants possible? And is there any useful applications for the captured carbon?

Question

Title.

I feel like the only way electric cars can be truly “environment friendly” is if the carbon produced is captured at the plants.

Not sure if it’s at all possible, though.

In: Engineering

Answer 1

If we’re talking about something like a coal fired power plant, basically all the energy comes from turning carbon into carbon dioxide. Natural gas is a little better, because some of the energy comes from burning hydrogen into water.

Though there are power plant types that don’t release CO2, like nuclear, solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal.

The most practical option for combustion to become carbon neutral, is to grow the fuel. Maybe algae farms would work.