National Grid and ETI to drill offshore Carbon Capture and Storage site off Yorkshire coast
11 October 2012
11th October 2012
National Grid and the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) intend to conduct the UK’s first drilling assessment of a saline formation site for the storage of carbon dioxide, at a site 70km off Flamborough Head in Yorkshire.
The multi million pound project represents a major step forward in the creation of a carbon capture and storage industry in the UK for multiple power stations and industrial sites, to store their carbon dioxide rather than release into the atmosphere. The ETI has invested £2 million in the project.
National Grid will lead the drilling programme at the identified saline formation; a layer of porous sandstone rock over 1km below the seabed. The operation, using standard oil and gas drilling activities, will involve drilling up to two wells in the seabed to gather data to confirm that carbon dioxide can be safely and permanently stored at the site, while also confirming the scale and economics of the store.
Jim Ward, Head of CCS at National Grid said: “We believe we are the first in the UK to physically assess a saline site for the storage of carbon dioxide. This drilling operation is a major step forward in the development of long term, large scale CCS clusters of transportation networks and storage facilities in the UK, and we’re excited to be working with the ETI on this project. We have engaged experts who have confirmed that our chosen site is the best potential store in the UK southern North Sea and the ideal foundation to develop a CCS network from”.
Existing information has confirmed the store is very large and capable of storing carbon dioxide from several sources over a number of decades. The site is close to the shore and, importantly, near to two major clusters of carbon dioxide emitters in the UK making it an ideal storage location.
Andrew Green, ETI Programme Manager for CCS added: “Our strategic analysis has shown that the development of CCS as a viable technology in the UK is a critical component to enable the country to meet its future carbon dioxide reduction targets. The ETI’s UK Storage Appraisal Project (UK SAP) has clearly demonstrated that CCS roll out will require use of both depleted oil and gas reservoirs and saline formations, and that appraisal of saline stores at this stage of CCS development is critical. Through our involvement in this project we hope to help Government and industry including other potential storage operators fully understand the potential capacities of saline formation sites. Our own independent analysis has shown that the storage site selected by National Grid is amongst the most promising stores in the UK sector, and has itself the potential to provide a strategically important UK storage resource. Our work to map the UK’s storage potential will help Government, CO2 emitters, storage operators and infrastructure and technology developers to make more informed policy decisions and choices on the rollout of CCS in the UK.”
Jeff Chapman, Chief Executive of the Carbon Capture and Storage Association said:
“This announcement by National Grid and the ETI is tremendous news for the development of CCS in the UK. The appraisal work marks an important step towards the development of saline formations - storage sites which contain by far the largest estimated storage capacity in the UK, and will therefore be fundamental to the establishment of commercial CCS networks that will enable the UK to move cost-effectively towards a low carbon economy”
Contact for media information only:
National Grid: Gemma Stokes T: 01926 655 272 M: 07974 198 333
Graham McQuarrie T: 01926 655 273 M: 07977 493 933
ETI
Richard Robinson T: 01509 202 026 M: 07500 049 626
Notes to Editors
CCS
• The UK Government has a target of an 80 per cent cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050
• In April 2012, the UK Government published its CCS Roadmap which sets out how it will achieve its goal of seeing commercial deployment of CCS in the UK in the 2020s.
• It is widely understood that a CCS ‘cluster’ or network approach could deliver the UK Government’s aspiration of cost competitive power generation with CCS in the 2020s, decarbonise the UK’s electricity generation and industrial sectors, and provide a lasting legacy from this phase of the development of CCS.
• This announcement is independent of DECCs £1billion competition in support of the UK carbon capture and storage commercialisation programme
• Storage site, named 5/42 is a saline formation partially underlying hydrocarbon licensing blocks 42/25 and 43/21 in the southern North Sea
National Grid
National Grid (LSE: NG; NYSE:NGG) is an electricity and gas company that connects consumers to energy sources through its networks. The company is at the heart of one of the greatest challenges facing our society - to create new, sustainable energy solutions for the future and developing an energy system that underpins economic prosperity in the 21st century. National Grid holds a vital position at the centre of the energy system and we ‘join everything up’.
In Britain, we run the gas and electricity systems that our society is built on, delivering gas and electricity across the country. In the North Eastern US, we connect more than seven million gas and electric customers to vital energy sources, essential for our modern lifestyles.
National Grid in the UK:
• We own the high-voltage electricity transmission network in England and Wales, operating it across Great Britain
• We own and operate the high pressure gas transmission system in Britain
• Our gas distribution business delivers gas to 11 million homes and businesses
• We also own a number of related businesses, including LNG importation, land remediation and metering
• National Grid manages the National Gas Emergency Service free phone line on behalf of the industry - 0800 111 999 (all calls are recorded and may be monitored).
ETI
National Grid and the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) intend to conduct the UK’s first drilling assessment of a saline formation site for the storage of carbon dioxide, at a site 70km off Flamborough Head in Yorkshire.
The multi million pound project represents a major step forward in the creation of a carbon capture and storage industry in the UK for multiple power stations and industrial sites, to store their carbon dioxide rather than release into the atmosphere. The ETI has invested £2 million in the project.
National Grid will lead the drilling programme at the identified saline formation; a layer of porous sandstone rock over 1km below the seabed. The operation, using standard oil and gas drilling activities, will involve drilling up to two wells in the seabed to gather data to confirm that carbon dioxide can be safely and permanently stored at the site, while also confirming the scale and economics of the store.
Jim Ward, Head of CCS at National Grid said: “We believe we are the first in the UK to physically assess a saline site for the storage of carbon dioxide. This drilling operation is a major step forward in the development of long term, large scale CCS clusters of transportation networks and storage facilities in the UK, and we’re excited to be working with the ETI on this project. We have engaged experts who have confirmed that our chosen site is the best potential store in the UK southern North Sea and the ideal foundation to develop a CCS network from”.
Existing information has confirmed the store is very large and capable of storing carbon dioxide from several sources over a number of decades. The site is close to the shore and, importantly, near to two major clusters of carbon dioxide emitters in the UK making it an ideal storage location.
Andrew Green, ETI Programme Manager for CCS added: “Our strategic analysis has shown that the development of CCS as a viable technology in the UK is a critical component to enable the country to meet its future carbon dioxide reduction targets. The ETI’s UK Storage Appraisal Project (UK SAP) has clearly demonstrated that CCS roll out will require use of both depleted oil and gas reservoirs and saline formations, and that appraisal of saline stores at this stage of CCS development is critical. Through our involvement in this project we hope to help Government and industry including other potential storage operators fully understand the potential capacities of saline formation sites. Our own independent analysis has shown that the storage site selected by National Grid is amongst the most promising stores in the UK sector, and has itself the potential to provide a strategically important UK storage resource. Our work to map the UK’s storage potential will help Government, CO2 emitters, storage operators and infrastructure and technology developers to make more informed policy decisions and choices on the rollout of CCS in the UK.”
Jeff Chapman, Chief Executive of the Carbon Capture and Storage Association said:
“This announcement by National Grid and the ETI is tremendous news for the development of CCS in the UK. The appraisal work marks an important step towards the development of saline formations - storage sites which contain by far the largest estimated storage capacity in the UK, and will therefore be fundamental to the establishment of commercial CCS networks that will enable the UK to move cost-effectively towards a low carbon economy”
Contact for media information only:
National Grid: Gemma Stokes T: 01926 655 272 M: 07974 198 333
Graham McQuarrie T: 01926 655 273 M: 07977 493 933
ETI
Richard Robinson T: 01509 202 026 M: 07500 049 626
Notes to Editors
CCS
• The UK Government has a target of an 80 per cent cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050
• In April 2012, the UK Government published its CCS Roadmap which sets out how it will achieve its goal of seeing commercial deployment of CCS in the UK in the 2020s.
• It is widely understood that a CCS ‘cluster’ or network approach could deliver the UK Government’s aspiration of cost competitive power generation with CCS in the 2020s, decarbonise the UK’s electricity generation and industrial sectors, and provide a lasting legacy from this phase of the development of CCS.
• This announcement is independent of DECCs £1billion competition in support of the UK carbon capture and storage commercialisation programme
• Storage site, named 5/42 is a saline formation partially underlying hydrocarbon licensing blocks 42/25 and 43/21 in the southern North Sea
National Grid
National Grid (LSE: NG; NYSE:NGG) is an electricity and gas company that connects consumers to energy sources through its networks. The company is at the heart of one of the greatest challenges facing our society - to create new, sustainable energy solutions for the future and developing an energy system that underpins economic prosperity in the 21st century. National Grid holds a vital position at the centre of the energy system and we ‘join everything up’.
In Britain, we run the gas and electricity systems that our society is built on, delivering gas and electricity across the country. In the North Eastern US, we connect more than seven million gas and electric customers to vital energy sources, essential for our modern lifestyles.
National Grid in the UK:
• We own the high-voltage electricity transmission network in England and Wales, operating it across Great Britain
• We own and operate the high pressure gas transmission system in Britain
• Our gas distribution business delivers gas to 11 million homes and businesses
• We also own a number of related businesses, including LNG importation, land remediation and metering
• National Grid manages the National Gas Emergency Service free phone line on behalf of the industry - 0800 111 999 (all calls are recorded and may be monitored).
ETI
- The ETI has recently completed a major study to assess carbon dioxide storage capacity in the UK and current activity in this field includes a CCS system modelling tool-kit to help support the future design, operation and roll-out of cost effective UK-based CCS systems and the commissioning last year of a £23.5 million CCS Next Generation Coal Capture Technology Demonstrator project.
- The Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) is a public-private partnership between global industries – BP, Caterpillar, EDF, E.ON, Rolls-Royce and Shell – and the UK Government.
- Public sector representation is through the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, with funding channelled through the Technology Strategy Board and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. The Department of Energy and Climate Change are observers on the Board.
- The ETI is focused on accelerating the deployment of affordable, secure low-carbon energy systems for 2020 to 2050 by demonstrating technologies, developing knowledge, skills and supply-chains and informing the development of regulation, standards and policy. www.eti.co.uk