CCS Background
Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) has emerged in recent years as a technology which has the potential to contribute very significantly to climate change mitigation actions by storing CO2 emissions in underground geological storage reservoirs, while at the same time facilitating a global transition towards lower dependency on consumption of all forms of fossil fuels.
The concept is simple: CO2 is removed pre-combustion or from exhaust gases (post-combustion) emitted by major fossil fuel-powered power stations and industrial complexes, compressed into a liquid form and then transmitted by pipeline or ship to storage sites where it is injected deep underground into suitable geological reservoirs. This technology has been used safely and successfully for many years by the oil industry, particularly in the USA, where CO2 derived from various sources is injected into depleting oil reservoirs in order to enhance oil recovery. It has now been applied and expanded to encompass a whole new generation of CCS geological reservoirs, in particular fully depleted oil and gas fields, as well as deep saline aquifers for which the theoretical global CO2 storage potential is enormous. However, while the capture and transmission end of the CCS spectrum are reasonable well understood and developed, the same cannot be said for the S end – geology – which remains the least well researched and defined component, even though the whole CCS concept is ultimately totally dependent upon the safe, long term security of CO2 injected into geological reservoirs.
Nonetheless, efforts to achieve full scale commercial CCS implementations are now developing very rapidly in many parts of the world, including the USA, Canada, Australia, China and, not least, in the EU. Very recently, the EU allocated over €1B to expedite development of a suite of “flagship” CCS pilot demonstration plants, and, in October, announced the names of the first 6 of these plants. In parallel, the EU also published its draft directives on the “Geological Storage of CO2” [which may be the first time that geology has featured in the title of any EU directive] and its Emissions Trading Scheme [“ETS”].
Ireland has lagged far behind in its efforts to address, develop and implement this technology, despite it being one of the largest per capita emitters of CO2 in the EU as a consequence of its major dependency on fossil fuels. That imbalance is, however, now starting to be addressed. A study of the all-island onshore and offshore CO2 storage potential, funded by the SEI and involving various agencies, including GSI and the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland (GSNI), was published in 2008. That report, and its recommendations, provided the framework for three follow-up actions:
- an assessment of the deep saline aquifer storage potential in proximity to Moneypoint, Co. Clare, the single largest point source CO2 emitter in the State. This project, funded by the EPA and with technical supervision provided by GSI and PAD, DCENR, has been completed and will be published in 2009.
- Implementation of an all-island cooperative effort to assess and better define CO2 reservoir potential in the Irish Sea. The Inter-Departmental CCS Committee chaired by DCENR mandated the GSI to implement this project in 2009 jointly with the British Geological Survey (BGS) and GSNI. Current efforts focus upon collation and integration of all pertinent data from all jurisdictions into a single digital data structure.
- On foot of an SEI initiative, preparation and submission of a research proposal to the EU FP7 programme for funding to enhance research and knowledge to advance commercialisation of the CCS potential of the Kinsale Head gas field. The Irish partner group includes PSE Kinsale Energy Ltd, operators of the Kinsale Head Field, the ESB, UCD and GSI/SEI/PAD. A preliminary decision on that application is expected in late 2009 or early 2010.
John H. Morris,
November 10, 2009.