Green move: from Australia's new government, led by Kevin Rudd
Australia eyes subsea carbon storage
Australia plans to allow greenhouse gas emissions to be stored under the ocean floor, with exploration for suitable sites possibly starting this year.
Energy Minister Martin Ferguson said the government would amend the Offshore Petroleum Act this year to allow for seabed storage of carbon emissions from coal-fired power stations.
"Australia has significant geological storage potential, particularly in our offshore sedimentary basins," Ferguson told an energy conference in Sydney late last night.
"I am hoping that amendments to the Offshore Petroleum Act 2006 will be passed in time for the government to release acreage for exploration in 2008, making Australia one of the first countries in the world to establish a regulated carbon capture and storage regime," Reuters quoted Ferguson as saying.
Green groups are critical of the subsea storage plan, saying they are concerned about the chances of leakage of emissions into the ocean environment.
"The coal and energy corporations are doubtless lobbying hard for the government to carry all liability for any leakages while they continue to profit from their polluting practices," Greens Senator Christine Milne told local media today.
Australia's Labor government, elected in November last year, ratified the Kyoto Protocol the following month, reversing an 11-year policy by the previous conservative government.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's government has made climate change a priority and has released a "National Clean Coal Initiative" which will see a regulatory regime for access and tenure to offshore Australia for geological storage.
The country is responsible for about 1.2% of global greenhouse gas emissions and is one of the highest polluters per capita.
Its carbon emissions are forecast to continue to grow due to its heavy reliance on coal for electricity, although the government says the country will meet its Kyoto emissions targets by 2012. Emissions will increase by 108% on 1990 levels from 2008 to 2012.
"Coal will continue to make a major contribution to Australia's energy needs well into the future and therefore we need to urgently reduce greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired electricity generation," said Ferguson.
"Clean coal technologies involving carbon capture and storage will play a vital role in meeting future greenhouse constraints. A nationally co-ordinated effort is needed to bring forward the commercial availability of these technologies."