A project to carry out the UK’s first drilling assessment of a saline formation site for the storage of carbon dioxide has been unveiled by National Grid and the ETI.
Power transmission firm National Grid has joined forces with the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) to do the work at a site 43 miles off Flamborough Head in Yorkshire.
The aim of the multimillion pound project is to test the possibility of using underground sites to store carbon dioxide from multiple power stations and industrial sites instead of it being released into the atmosphere.
The ETI has invested £2 million in the project, it said.
Andrew Green, ETI programme manager for CCS said: “Our strategic analysis has shown that the development of CCS as a viable technology in the UK is a critical component to enable the country to meet its future carbon dioxide reduction targets.
“The ETI’s UK Storage Appraisal Project has clearly demonstrated that CCS roll out will require use of both depleted oil and gas reservoirs and saline formations, and that appraisal of saline stores at this stage of CCS development is critical.”
National Grid will lead the drilling programme at the identified saline formation; a layer of porous sandstone rock over 3,280 ft below the seabed.
The operation, using standard oil and gas drilling activities, will involve drilling up to two wells in the seabed to gather data to confirm that carbon dioxide can be safely and permanently stored at the site, while also confirming the scale and economics of the store.
Jim Ward, head of CCS at National Grid said: “We believe we are the first in the UK to physically assess a saline site for the storage of carbon dioxide.
“This drilling operation is a major step forward in the development of long term, large scale CCS clusters of transportation networks and storage facilities in the UK/
The ETI said existing information confirmed the store was very large and capable of storing carbon dioxide from several sources over a number of decades.
It is close to the shore and to two major clusters of carbon dioxide emitters in the UK making it an ideal storage location.
“Through our involvement in this project we hope to help Government and industry including other potential storage operators fully understand the potential capacities of saline formation sites,” said Mr Green.
“Our work to map the UK’s storage potential will help Government, CO2 emitters, storage operators and infrastructure and technology developers to make more informed policy decisions and choices on the rollout of CCS in the UK.”
