Carbon Capture & Storage
British Columbia can play an important role in lowering global greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions can be reduced with efficient technologies, low-carbon fuels and alternative energies. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is an important mitigation strategy — collecting CO2 produced at large industrial facilities and storing it permanently deep underground in geological rock formations.
B.C. is well suited for CCS. Northeastern B.C. has a number of large natural-gas processing plants. Underground storage opportunities are reasonably close, and the technology and geological knowledge are available. The Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) in northeast B.C. provides suitable porous and permeable reservoirs for CO2 storage in depleted natural gas pools and deep saline formations.
The Ministry of Natural Gas Development is pursuing CCS opportunities with industry and developing a comprehensive framework to provide certainty to industry, protect the public and the environment, and enable CCS projects to proceed.
Properly regulated, CCS can complement other emission-reduction strategies such as electrification, energy efficiency, enhanced oil recovery and renewable energies. Technologies such as CCS will reduce CO2 emissions while allowing economic growth and prosperity.
More information on this topic:
- Carbon Capture and Storage in B.C. (PDF, 1.7MB)
Access general information on CCS, including "CCS Basics":