CSA, IPAC-CO2 RELEASE STANDARD FOR GEOLOGIC STORAGE OF CO2

Tamar Hallerman
GHG Monitor
11/16/12

The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) and IPAC-CO2 Research Inc. this week jointly released what they say is the first consensus standard for the geologic storage of CO2 in the U.S. and Canada. The bi-national guidelines essentially codify industry best practices for long-term carbon storage in saline aquifers and depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs. Industry groups and regulators can now voluntarily adopt the non-binding recommendations that run the gamut from storage site selection, construction, operation and closure to risk assessment and public outreach. “The project life cycle covers all aspects, periods and stages of the storage project, beginning with those necessary to initiate the project that lead to the start of injection and proceeding through subsequent operations until cessation of injection; and culminating in the post-injection period, which can include a closure period and a post-closure period,” the text of the standards reads.

The standard took a technical committee of more than 30 CO2 storage stakeholders more than two years to develop and is based on a seed document developed by IPAC-CO2 from its own industry research. Those involved said the standard could be beneficial to storage project developers because it provides third-party verification that could give projects some degree of public credibility. “This standard will help instil public and regulator confidence in the geologic storage of CO2 as an effective CO2 mitigation option,” IPAC-CO2 CEO Carmen Dybwad said. “The publication of this standard is a turning point for the CCS industry and in the quest to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in our fight against climate change.”

The text of the standards acknowledges that some uncertainties associated with geologic storage are unique to individual projects and must be dealt with on a site-specific basis. However, it says that the recommendations would help promote best practices and quality control for storage sites that could help minimize risks for the environment and public health. “Another important function of management systems is embedding a risk-management process into the culture and practices of a storage project to help ensure that the events that can affect project objectives are identified and managed,” it says. Saskatchewan Environment Minister Ken Cheveldayoff touted the standard for creating a “consistent and transparent process” for the geologic storage of CO2. “This supports the province’s growth plan as carbon capture and storage technology will allow us to meet our greenhouse gas emission targets while continuing to use coal to generate electricity and minimize costs to consumers,” he said in a statement.

Standard to be Basis for International Recommendations

The U.S.-Canadian standard is also intended to work as a starting point for full-chain international CCS standards being developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). CSA is managing the secretariat for the committee developing those recommendations and many stakeholders who were involved in the CSA and IPAC-CO2 process are also working on the ISO standard. ISO had its inaugural meeting this summer to discuss the CCS standards and a final version is expected to be released in 2014.

CSA, IPAC-CO2 and ISO are not the only groups developing standards for CCS and geologic storage. Earlier this year, the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) released a framework for CCS projects meant to help shape a standard for CO2 emissions accounting from CCS projects. The American Carbon Registry has also been moving forward on a protocol meant to give carbon credits to projects that store CO2 in brine and via enhanced oil recovery operations. More formally, the European Union’s CCS Directive, finalized last year, legally requires the body’s 27 member states to follow various CO2 transport and storage guidelines.