Carbon Capture Storage Flagships

The Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Flagships program supports a small number of demonstration projects that will:

• capture carbon dioxide emissions from industrial processes
• provide transport infrastructure (generally pipelines)
• safely store carbon dioxide underground in stable geological formations

The program:

• promotes the use of CCS technologies
• helps demonstrate Australia’s geological storage resources
• trials CCS transport and storage technologies
• builds skills and capacity
• links with promising international projects

Projects

These are the demonstration projects funded by the CCS Flagships program.

South West Hub: to be completed 2018

The South West Hub project is collecting and analysing data and samples from the Lesueur Sandstone formation. These will be used to test its feasibility as a carbon dioxide storage reservoir. The project received $32.1 million in funding from the Australian Government and is managed and co-funded by the Western Australian Government.

CarbonNet: to be completed June 2020

The CarbonNet project investigates the potential for a large scale CCS network in the Gippsland region of Victoria. The network could cover multiple sources of carbon dioxide captured from industrial plants or power stations. The carbon dioxide would be transported via a shared pipeline and injected offshore in a deep sub-sea storage formation.

If viable, CarbonNet could enable innovative new industries in the Gippsland region that would secure jobs, boost skills and attract investment. It would also strengthen Victoria’s energy security in a carbon constrained future.

CarbonNet is managed and co-funded by the Australian and Victorian governments. The Australian Government has committed $95.2 million to the current phases of project which will confirm the storage resource.

Otway Geological Storage and Monitoring Demonstration Project: to be completed 2020

The Otway Geological Storage and Monitoring Demonstration project in Victoria is Australia’s first demonstration of deep geological storage. It’s making an internationally significant contribution to carbon dioxide storage science and engineering while refining and testing technology under Australian conditions. The project includes an internationally renowned monitoring program.

Lessons learned from the project will be shared with other CSS projects around the world. The Australian Government has committed $25 million to the project, which is scheduled to be completed in June 2020.

Work at the Otway site also feeds into the CarbonNet project.

CCS Research, Development and Demonstration (RD&D) Fund

Aims to reduce the technical and commercial barriers to deploying large-scale CCS projects. The research priorities are:

• subsurface knowledge and mapping
• transport infrastructure, technology and methodologies
• whole-of-chain integration and cross-cutting issues
• international collaboration

Funded projects include:

• CTSCO’s Integrated Surat Basin CCS Project
• The Northern Australia Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Store
• Australian subsurface carbon sequestration simulator
• In situ laboratory to de-risk commercial deployment of carbon storage
• Emissions study with IHI’s PCC pilot Plant at AGL Loy Yang Power station
• Improving safety and efficiency of carbon dioxide pipeline
• UQ Surat Deep Aquifer Appraisal Project

Australia-China Post Combustion Capture Feasibility Study Project- completed June 2017

The Australia-China post combustion capture feasibility study project completed in June 2017 is the centrepiece of the Australia‑China Joint Coordination Group on Clean Coal Technology. The Australian Government contribution of $11.5 million from the Carbon Capture and Storage Flagships Program has helped develop knowledge on low emissions fossil fuel technologies, reducing deployment costs and risks in Australia.

Wandoan Prefeasibility Study

The integrated Wandoan Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) CCS Project was shortlisted for prefeasibility studies. The project focuses on carbon transport and storage. In 2010, Stanwell Corporation Limited and GE Energy LLC working as the Wandoan Power Consortium, assessed the viability of an IGCC power station capturing 90 per cent of CO2 from the fuel stream for transport and storage by CTSCo Pty Ltd. A number of valuable insights were gained from the study and these are outlined in the Wandoan Prefeasibility Study knowledge sharing report.

ZeroGen Prefeasibility Study

Focused on the critical pieces of work required to better assess the viability of storage solutions by 30 June 2010. The Project produced a fit for purpose prefeasibility study reviewed by an independent expert panel. Lessons from the study are outlined in the Zerogen case study.

Contact us

Email LowEmissions@industry.gov.au.

See also

Find out about research and development into low emission technologies for fossil fuels.