Brussels, 19/02/2007 (Agence Europe) - On 19 February the European Commission today launched an on-line public consultation on carbon dioxide capture and geological storage (CCS). This new potentially promising technology in the fight against climate still needs to be tested on its efficiency and reliability.
This low cost C02 emissions reduction technology involves capturing emissions at source and putting them in underground geological formations like oil and gas fields to prevent CO2 from migrating to the surface and being released into the atmosphere. It is one of the measures the European Commission is counting on as it steps up the EU's fight against climate change and is one of the measures addressed by the Commission in its “Energy for Europe” package presented on 10 January 2007. Member states are, however, divided about how this should be used. Consultation results will guide the Commission in its elaboration of the legislative proposal it intends to develop Europe-wide on this technology.
To this end, the Commission will examine risks linked to all the different aspects: capture, transport and storage of carbon dioxide - by focusing particular attention on effects that could potentially have a negative impact on the environment.
If it proves to be a success, geological storage could get rid of 80-90% % of the CO2 emissions from power plants, according to UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. CCS technology could be part of the global efforts to reduce the costs of stabilising CO2 concentrations in the earth's atmosphere by 30% or more.
If interested, the consultation runs until 16 April 2007 on the following website: (http: //ec.europa.eu/environment/climat/ccs/consult_en.htm). (eh)