The Federal Government has officially launched the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute today, with support from 85 bodies including 40 major companies.
The Federal Government has officially launched the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute today, with support from 85 bodies including 40 major companies.
The Institute is designed to to accelerate the deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology globally and the sharing of information.
Most of the major players in the oil and gas sectors in Western Australia have become foundation members including Chevron, Shell, BHP Billiton, BP, Exxon Mobil Australia, INPEX Corporation, Santos and Woodside.
Also joining the Institute are mining giant Rio Tinto and engineering firms Schlumberger and WorleyParsons.
Chevron's Gorgon gas project hinges on CCS technology, which will be used to inject carbon dioxide into underground aquifers.
Krzywosinski said the company's support of the Institute reflects its vision of providing natural gas that is essential to sustainable economic growth.
"Chevron Australia is proud to be playing a leading role in taking greenhouse gas (GHG) storage technologies from the research and demonstration phase to industrial scale application, thus significantly reducing global GHG emissions," Chevron Australia managing director Roy Krzywosinski said.
He said the Gorgon Carbon Dioxide Injection and Storage Project, being operated by Chevron, will contribute to reaching the objectives of the Institute.
"The Gorgon Project will position Australia as a world leader in the application of carbon capture and storage technology with up to 3.4 million tonnes a year of CO2 injected and stored underground.
"This is looking at injection rates between three and four times greater than is being done by existing commercial scale projects," added Krzywosinski.
As the first company to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Australian Government in support of the initiative, Shell has been involved in establishing the framework of the Institute and will be an active participant in its programs.
Shell Australia chairman Russell Caplan said: "Shell believes CCS will be an essential technology to lower greenhouse gas emissions as the world's economy transitions to lower carbon energy sources.
"We need safe and cost effective ways to capture and store CO2 from coal, oil and natural gas. Currently CCS is too expensive to deploy on most energy projects, so government leadership and support is vital to make this technology more economically viable and widely utilised."
The Federal Government's, Chevron's and Shell's statements are pasted below:
LAUNCH OF GLOBAL CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE INSTITUTE
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd formally launched the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute at the inaugural meeting of Institute foundation members in Canberra today.
The Institute is being established by the Government to accelerate the deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology globally and the sharing of information.
It has already received strong and widespread international support with 85 bodies, including 16 national Governments and more than 40 major companies, signing on as foundation members and collaborating participants. More members are expected to join by 1 July 2009 when the Institute will become a separate legal entity.
The GCCSI is an important part of the Australian Government's response to the environmental and economic challenge of climate change.
The Government's climate change strategy is designed to reduce our carbon pollution, adapt to the impact of climate change we cannot avoid and help shape a global solution.
The Australian Government believes that carbon capture and storage has the potential to play an important role in the global transition to a low carbon economy.
The Institute is an initiative to help drive global cooperation on CCS projects and technologies.
It will help shape an international solution to climate change by building momentum for the deployment of CCS technology.
It will make an important contribution reducing the level of carbon pollution in Australia by advancing technology that will capture and store emissions.
It will also play a key role - along with the International Energy Agency and the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum - in achieving the G8 group's goal of the broad deployment of CCS technology by 2020.
The Government announced the Institute in September 2008 with annual funding of up to $100 million to accelerate the deployment of commercial scale CCS projects globally.
The Government appointed Mr Nick Otter as interim CEO and recently appointed Mr James D. Wolfensohn to the position of Chair of the International Advisory Panel of the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute.
Chevron Becomes Foundation Member of Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute
Chevron Australia Pty Ltd has announced its support for the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute (GCCSI) by becoming a foundation member of the new initiative that was officially launched by the Prime Minister in Canberra today.
Speaking from the launch event, Chevron Australia's Managing Director, Roy Krzywosinski, said that the company's involvement in the GCCSI supports its vision of providing natural gas, the cleanest of the fossil fuels, vital to sustainable economic growth and community development.
"Chevron Australia is proud to be playing a leading role in taking greenhouse gas (GHG) storage technologies from the research and demonstration phase to industrial scale application, thus significantly reducing global GHG emissions," said Krzywosinski.
"As operator of the Gorgon Project, Chevron Australia will explore how the Gorgon Carbon Dioxide Injection and Storage Project can assist in advancing the objectives of the Institute.
"The Gorgon Project will position Australia as a world leader in the application of carbon capture and storage technology with up to 3.4 million tonnes a year of CO2 injected and stored underground.
"This is looking at injection rates between three and four times greater than is being done by existing commercial scale projects," added Krzywosinski.
Mr Krzywosinski said the increased use of domestic natural gas within Australia and exported liquefied natural gas (LNG) had an important role to play in significantly reducing the growth of global GHG emissions.
"Compared to the use of coal, LNG from the Gorgon Project alone could reduce net global GHG emissions by about 45 million tonnes a year. Put more simply, that's the equivalent of taking about two thirds of all vehicles off Australian roads," he said.
Chevron's role in the GCCSI will depend upon the Gorgon Project receiving its final approvals later this year.
GLOBAL CCS INSTITUTE TO INCREASE FOCUS ON A VITAL TECHNOLOGY
The official launch today of the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute (GCCSI) by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is an important step in an increased international effort to fast track the commercialisation of a technology critical to addressing climate change.
Shell International Petroleum Company Limited was the first company to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Australian Government to support the Institute. Under this MoU, Shell has provided expertise in establishing the framework of the Institute, and will actively participate in its programs and services.
Shell's Chairman in Australia, Russell Caplan, said: "Shell believes CCS will be an essential technology to lower greenhouse gas emissions as the world's economy transitions to lower carbon energy sources.
"We need safe and cost effective ways to capture and store CO2 from coal, oil and natural gas. Currently CCS is too expensive to deploy on most energy projects, so government leadership and support is vital to make this technology more economically viable and widely utilised."
Mr Caplan added that the support from the Australian Government to establish the Institute was to be commended.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has identified CCS as the most promising technology for the rapid reduction of global emissions, with reductions of up to 55% possible by 2100.
Shell is focussed globally on CCS technology as part of its push to ensure a responsible energy future. It is involved in the development of large-scale CCS demonstration projects, joint industry initiatives and partnerships with academic institutions.
Shell's participation in the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute is the latest in a string of initiatives in which Shell is involved to progress CCS technology. Some of the current projects include:
- the International Performance Assessment Centre for Geologic Storage of CO2 (IPAC-CO2) in Canada, with the University of Regina and the Government of the province of Saskatchewan;
- the Australian Otway project, lead by the CO2 Cooperative Research Centre, which has started injecting 100,000 tonnes of CO2 into a depleted natural gas reservoir 2km beneath the surface (http://www.co2crc.com.au/otway/);
- the Barendrecht CCS project in the Netherlands, which aims to capture 400,000 tonnes per annum of CO2 at Shell's Pernis refinery (www.shell.nl/home/content/nld/responsible_energy/co2_storage/);
- the proposed "Quest" project in Canada to capture and store up to 1.2 mio tonnes of CO2 per annum from the Shell Scotford Upgrader and the Scotford Upgrader Expansion (http://www-static.shell.com/static/ca-en/downloads/about_shell/what_we_do/Shell-Quest-PubDisclosure-v6.pdf);
- the research collaboration with Imperial College London, together with Qatar Petroleum and Qatar Science and Technology Park, to provide the foundation for new CO2 technologies that can be applied in Qatar and beyond (http://www.shell.com/home/content/qatar/news_and_library/press_releases/2008/carbonate_reservoirs.html);
- the International Energy Agency Greenhouse Gas Weyburn-Midale CO2 Monitoring and Storage Project that is currently in its final phase in Regina, Canada (www.ptrc.ca/weyburn_overview.php);
- the West Coast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership and CO2 Capture Project in the US (www.CO2captureproject.org); and,
- the CO2SINK pilot project in Germany (www.CO2sink.org).
