Report on Storing CO2 under the North Sea Basin

Today Lord Truscott, Minister of State for Energy, and Mr. Enoksen, Minister of Petroleum and Energy, received a report with common principles for managing and regulating the transport, injection and permanent storage of CO2 in the North Sea sub-seabed. The report is the first deliverable of the North Sea Basin Task Force, which was established in November 2005.

The Task Force has undertaken a gap analysis to identify barriers to deployment and it is clear that carbon capture and storage still suffers from significant institutional uncertainties and associated risks. The recommendedation is to ammend existing North Sea legal and regulatory frameworks to enable carbon capture and storage. Furthermore a management approach to carbon capture and storage projects using a risk based qualification process for storage sites is recommended. The Task Force has concluded that the work should proceed to a phase II.

The North Sea Basin Task Force is made up of the following representatives from government and industry from both countries; UK Department of Trade and Industry, UK Department of Food and Rural Affairs, The Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, The Norwegian Ministry of the Environment, The UK Crown Estate, British Geological Services, Det Norske Veritas, Statoil, Shell, Hydro, BP Alternative Energy and AEA Energy & Environment.

The report.