FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Viability and timescale of developing CCS
Does CCS work?
Each element of the CCS chain – capture, transport and storage – has been operational for many decades in different industries. The current task is to demonstrate their integration on an industrial scale.
The capture of CO2 is already routine practice in the natural gas processing industry – as CO2 often must be removed before the natural gas can be used. The technique is also common in the production of fertilizers.
Industry also has many decades experience safely transporting CO2, in applications such as enhanced oil recovery (EOR) industry and to serve the soft drinks industry.
CO2 has been safety injected for many decades in the US as part of the EOR activity. There are also several projects already around the world which have been safety storing CO2 for many years.
Companies are investing many millions of pounds into the enhancement of the elements of CCS – we all want to see this work. As part of these developments, many pilot plants are being constructed around the world, reinforcing confidence in the validity and potential of the technology.
How many full scale CCS plants are in existence?
CCS plants are operational today. There are currently 4 operational commercial-scale CCS plants globally:
- Sleipner is in the North Sea, about 160 miles west of Stavanger, Norway: operational since 1996 and injecting over 1 million tonnes of CO2 annually
- Weyburn is in southeastern Saskatchewan, Canada: operational since 2005 and injecting 26 million tonnes (net) over the lifetime of the project
- In Salah is in central Algeria, in the heart of the Sahara Dessert: operational since 2004 and injecting over 1 millions tonnes of CO2 annually
- The Snøvit plant in northern Norway: operational since 2008 and, at full production, the plant has a capture and storage capacity of 700,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.
The first demonstration plant in the UK will be operational from 2015.
Industry has four decades experience in transporting CO2 in the US for the purposes of enhanced oil recovery.
When will the first UK plants be ready?
The first UK CCS plant will be operational from 2015 and will immediately be playing an important part in reducing our emissions.
