A report published by the Global CCS Institute identifies the UK North Sea and Scotland in particular as an ‘ideal area’ for storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) amongst potential global storage sites for the greenhouse gas. Building on previous work by Scottish Carbon Capture and Storage (SCCS) and other research teams, this report estimates that capacity in the North Sea is sufficient for several decades worth of CO2 storage requirement for the whole of the European Union.

SCCS Director Professor Stuart Haszeldine commented ‘From the global compilation of data by the Global CCS Institute it is clear that worldwide, there is plenty of CO2 storage capacity that can be developed, many times that estimated by the International Energy Agency as needed by 2050. The storage potential beneath the seas around the UK is highlighted as exceptionally well known, understood and accessible, and this presents a real opportunity for Scotland and the UK which the Government should grasp. CCS in the UK is far from dead, and North Sea industries could be looking to widen their interests into a long-duration sustainable future of CO2 storage, as well as concentrating on cost reductions in their existing businesses.’

This new report ‘Global storage portfolio: a global assessment of the geological CO2 storage resource potential’ collates data from 55 countries to enable clear ‘dashboard’ indicators of the state of preparation for CCS in terms of storage technical readiness, policy, and regulatory position. The North Sea is highlighted as an ideal location to demonstrate CCS technologies that would form the basis of a valuable new industry collecting and storing CO2 emissions from the UK and mainland Europe.

The Global CCS Institute is an international membership organisation with a mission to accelerate the development, demonstration and deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS), a vital technology to tackle climate change and provide energy security.