The IEA CCS Unit held their 6th meeting of the International CCS Regulatory Network in Paris 27-28 May. Sessions looked at developing regulatory frameworks including in New Zealand, Indonesia, South Africa, Botswana, and Poland, also North American developments, and on the development of standards.
Of particular news was the issuing of the first two US EPA Class VI permits (draft), to ADM CCS#2 and to FutureGen. These are long-awaited and very important in setting precedents. IEAGHG found that of the issues of concern to operators - Post Injection Site Care (PISC) and the Area of Review (AoR) - the draft permits have given the ADM project a PISC of 10 years and AoR of 2 miles radius, and given FutureGen a PISC of 50 years and AoR of 24 miles radius.
Also to note were the pilot project developments in Gulf Cooperation Countries and Indonesia, and a general point that came out of the meeting was the flexibility allowed in most existing regulations, allowing technology developments as well as the site-specific nature of storage. The meeting launched a new database on CCS regulations, by topic, created and hosted by the IEA CCS Unit.
IEAGHG were very pleased to organise a session on “Emerging findings from research that may impact regulation”, as this gave an opportunity to mark ten years of IEAGHG Research Networks in the storage area. Recent research developments were presented by BEG University of Texas on shallow monitoring techniques to allow attribution of CO2 source and the implications for monitoring protocols, by the National Oceanography Centre (UK) on developments in offshore monitoring (including the ability for large area coverage), by TNO on the CO2CARE project looking at risk management and best practice for site closure under the EU criteria, and by US NETL on reducing risk and uncertainties through modelling.
Thanks to Sean McCoy of the IEA CCS Unit for an interesting meeting of updates and developments. More information from the meeting will be found at http://www.iea.org/workshop/6thccsregulatorynetworkmeeting.html , also from This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ,and on our Networks on our website.