2016-TR6 National CO2 Storage Assessment Guidance

 The effectiveness of CCS as a global solution to carbon emission abatement will depend on widespread deployment in both established industrialised and developing economies. One of the key stages for any country is the identification of a national CO₂ storage resource. To help understand the challenges faced by different countries that have either conducted, or are planning such a resource assessment, a survey was commissioned by the UK and Korean governments. The responses to this survey have generated a useful foundation that can aid governments and other organisations who are less advanced in planning CO₂ storage assessments. IEAGHG has now produced a guide based on the survey's findings. It is designed to help government bodies and policy makers with limited CCS experience to identify and select information on assessment methodologies. The guide provides information on where to find the material required to undertake initial national scale storage assessments. The guidance also includes definitions of technical terminology, proposed steps to establishing a national storage assessment and recent up to date case studies from a variety of countries focussing on Africa and Asia. A variety of methods for capacity estimation have been used and this guide provides explanations of where to find these studies and sources of information including websites, papers and organisations. Most companies and organisations engaged in CCS development have stated their ambition to share knowledge and experience; and they actively collaborate at an international level to aid future projects. This guide provides a link with current expertise in CO₂ storage to help facilitate new CCS projects especially in developing countries.

It should be stressed that many detailed storage assessments have been conducted and published in the past decade. A wide variety of techniques and technologies have been used to complete them given the varying nature of each country and individual sites. Although a standardised method has yet to be established, this guide aims to provide links to the most developed methodologies providing a direction on the most suitable approach to adopt.

At the conclusion of this guide there is a nine point summary of the key stages that are recommended for the establishment of a national CO₂ storage assessment.