Carbon Capture & Storage

Geological Storage Options for CO2

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies allow emissions of carbon dioxide to be 'captured' and 'stored' preventing them from entering the atmosphere. CCS presents one of the most promising options for large-scale reductions in CO2 emissions from energy use. CO2 capture is possible from fossil fuel power stations or from other large CO2 sources, such as the chemical, steel or cement industries or from natural gas production. CO2 can be stored in geological formations such as saline aquifers or expired oil and gas reservoirs. The technologies for geological CCS are all proven and there are a number of large-scale CCS projects in operation today. Current projects include:

Sleipner in Norway Weyburn in Canada In Salah in Algeria

An interactive map of CO2 Storage projects worldwide can be viewed on the Scottish Centre for Carbon Storage website CCS has not yet been applied to large scale electricity generation, although a number of proposed projects will achieve this. Public policy intervention for CCS demonstration is required in the form of additional financing mechanisms for CCS to existing market mechanisms. The benefits from CCS demonstration projects accrue to the whole of society in the form of lower stabilisation costs and not the early movers due to significant 'spill-over' effects. One possible incentive currently under debate is whether CCS projects should be included under the

Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The World Coal Institute believes the information is available now to permit CCS to be included under the CDM. A decision on this will be made at the next climate change summit in Poland at the end of this year.