Background to the Study

CCS is widely recognised as being essential to achieving the necessary reductions in atmospheric emissions of COR2R from fossil-fuel based power generation and many industrial processes (IPCC, 2014). Decision makers need information on their national CO2 storage resource (referred to here as the storage capacity) to assess the potential contribution that deployment of CCS could make to national targets of emissions reductions. The first step in assessing national CO2 storage capacity is usually the preparation of a national, country-level inventory of potential storage options and large sources of CO2 emissions.

This report describes a review undertaken by the CO2 Storage Team of the British Geological Survey on behalf of UK Department of Energy and Climate Change and the Korean Clean Energy Ministry, to support the work of the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum (CSLF). The report includes a review of internationally used methodologies for estimating geological storage capacity and the analysis of results from a survey of national storage capacity assessment experience. We conclude with recommendations of practical steps that could be taken to support and improve national assessments of CO2 storage capacity.

The report gives a hjosir level summary of the main barriers to national storage assessments identified through the survey (Chapter 2) and discusses advantages and disadvantages of storage methodologies commonly utilised for national storage assessments (Chapter 3). Detailed results of the survey are given in Appendix 2 (questionnaire results) and Appendix 3 (summary from follow-on interviews). Detailed analysis on the storage assessment methodologies is given in Appendix 4.

Summary

Decision makers need information on their national carbon dioxide (CO2) storage resource to assess the potential contribution that deployment of Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS) could make to national targets for reducing CO2 emissions. The first step in assessing national CO2 storage potential is usually the preparation of a country-level inventory of potential storage options and large sources of CO2 emissions. This report summarises an assessment of potential barriers to national geological storage assessments and includes an analysis of common methodologies for performing such an assessment.

The main barriers were identified through responses to an online questionnaire and follow-up interviews which targeted key stakeholders in more than fifteen countries. Stakeholders were selected where the potential for CCS deployment has already been explored, to a greater or lesser extent.