As with many energy technologies (e.g. natural gas) evidence suggests that CCS has major accident hazard potential. However, the likelihood of such an occurrence should be very low where the risks are well controlled.
The risks to safety from the deployment of CCS technologies are acceptable. However, the industry will need to address the limitation of current knowledge, through research and a number of issues will need to be addressed relating to the development of acceptable international standards and the review of certain aspects of regulatory arrangements.
HSE is working with key stakeholders to develop a shared understanding of the risks associated with CCS and the appropriate control measures.
Thanks to the general duties in law to protect health and safety any new technology that develops (such as CCS) is immediately subject to legal requirements on those working with it to achieve acceptable standards of safety. However, HSE is currently reviewing whether the risks associated with the CCS process merit extending the major hazard regulatory regimes to these projects.
HSE is working closely with BERR throughout the competition. Within the competition documents, it is clearly stated that HSE requires developers to give a health and safety compliance demonstration as if CO2 was classified as a dangerous substance or fluid under COMAH and PSR, and (for offshore installations) as if all relevant offshore regulations applied, in order to satisfy the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. In addition, the successful competitor must provide technical information to HSE throughout the project, to inform the development of appropriate health and safety standards.
HSE allocate resources according to priorities and accordingly we will give this the necessary resource allocation to deal with it.
Several projects are already storing millions of tonnes of CO2 underground and many more are now being planned. Oil and gas companies for many decades have experience of storing natural gas deep underground and using CO2 in oilfields to 'push' oil towards producing wells - a technique known as Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR). The success of these projects provides a great deal of confidence in the potential to store large quantities of CO2 underground - safely and securely.
CCS involves capturing the CO2 produced by the burning of hydrocarbons (such as natural gas and coal) before it enters the atmosphere, and storing it deep underground in rock formations where it would remain indefinitely.
The best rocks for CO2 storage are depleted oil and gas fields and deep saline formations. Potential storage sites will need to be carefully selected and managed in order to minimise any chance of CO2 leakage. Once the CO2 has been placed in the storage location, the wells will have to be sealed to ensure that the CO2 stays in place. On the surface, air and soil sampling can be used to detect potential of CO2 leakage whilst changes deep underground can be monitored by detecting sound (seismic), electromagnetic, gravity or density changes within the rock formations.
Several large-scale geological storage projects are already in operation, and many more have been proposed. The required technology has been used by the oil and gas industry for many years - it is proven and available today.
