Background

In September 2005 project design documents and methodologies for two carbon dioxide capture and storage projects under the Clean Development Mechanism were submitted for approval. The CDM Executive Board were unable to agree how CCS projects should be handled and sought advice from COP/MOP. This initiated a process of wider consultation. The IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme sounded out its members and interested organisations to determine the level of interest in developing CCS projects under the CDM and found it to be sufficient to warrant organizing a workshop. At this first workshop, held in London in April 2006, the main issues which needed to be addressed when formulating a methodology and preparing a Project Design Document for such projects were discussed in order to determine whether a common approach was possible. Several organizations indicated that they were contemplating the possibility of undertaking CCS projects and that in some cases these might be in countries eligible for hosting CDM projects. Furthermore there was a considerable degree of consensus on how the main issues surrounding monitoring and storage site integrity could be handled.

As a result of this consensus Environmental Resources Management was put in charge of documenting theshared view in the form of a set of common guidelines for use by companies when preparing Methodologies and PDD’s for CCS projects. The guidelines were circulated to all members of the working group for comment.resulting in this final version.. IEAGHG agreed to publish the report and thus make it available to a wider audience.

Conclusions

These guidelines should be of assistance to organisations contemplating submitting CCS projects under the Clean Development Mechanism. Following their general principles should ensure development of a consistent set of CDM methodologies for this type of project and also promote their quality and integrity.

At the present time the way in which CCS projects could be included within the CDM is still under review. It is planned to reach a decision at COP/MOP4 in December 2008 following a process of further consultations with organisations and Parties. However, in parallel with this process submission of more methodologies for CCS projects was encouraged by COP/MOP2 and these guidelines are offered as assistance to any organisation undertaking this task.