Opportunities for CO2 Storage around Scotland; An Integrated Strategic Research Study

Abstract

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is one of the critical technologies worldwide which will enable reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions arising from large industrial sites. CCS allows the continued use of a diverse mix of energy sources, including fossil fuels, which improves the security of cost-effective electricity supply. Scotland has the opportunity and responsibility to reduce CO2 emissions arising from burning of fossil fuels and their impact on climate change. The EU plans to have 12 CCS plants operating by 2015. In February 2009, the UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change stated an aspiration for the UK to have more than one demonstration project in operation enabled by government funding. However, these targets cannot be delivered without the underpinning knowledge from studies such as this. Commitment to large-scale investment in CO2 capture plant will require proven storage capability. This study • presents the first high-level screening of CO2 storage sites available to Scotland • evaluates the means by which CO2 can be transported from power plants and other industrial activities to storage sites, and • investigates the costs and business constraints. This is the most comprehensive and fully integrated study performed in the UK, and was achieved by a collaborative partnership of Scottish Government, research universities and institutes, and a broad base of support from industry and business. The conclusions show that Scotland has an extremely large CO2 storage resource. This is overwhelmingly in offshore saline aquifers (deeply buried porous sandstones filled with salt water) together with a few specific depleted hydrocarbon fields. The resource can easily accommodate the industrial CO2 emissions from Scotland for the next 200 years. There is very likely to be sufficient storage to allow import of CO2 from NE England, this equating to over 25% of future UK large industry and power CO2 output. Preliminary indications are that Scotland's offshore CO2 storage capacity is very important on a European scale, comparable with that of offshore Norway, and greater than Netherlands, Denmark and Germany combined.