EU: Consultation on carbon-storage risks to be launched

The Commission is launching an online public consultation on potential risks, particularly environmental, from new technology allowing CO2 emissions from power plants to be stored underground.

The planned consultation comes in the wake of the Commission’s energy and climate- change package of 10 January 2007, which highlighted the importance of CCS in creating “a low CO2 fossil fuel future”, especially given Commission estimates that: “Coal and gas account for over 50% of the EU’s electricity supply and will remain an important part of our energy mix.”
However, environmental groups fear that CCS will prolong the world’s oil dependence and divert investments from renewable energy. Critics also argue that since the technology is still in the development stage, there is no proof that CO2 can be stored for long periods and that therefore there are risks of leakage.

The consultation will be part of initial preparations for a legislative proposal on the issue and will examine the risks associated with capture, transport and storage, while paying particular emphasis on possible detrimental effects on the environment.

EurActiv