Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)

CCS has been identified as a climate change mitigation strategy which can significantly reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted to the atmosphere from fossil fuel based power generation including hydrogen, other industrial sources or contribute to net negative emissions via direct air capture or BECCS (biomass energy plus CCS). In the UK and many other countries the best storage reservoirs occur in offshore geological formations several 100s of metres below the sea floor. Assurance that the CO₂ remains permanently stored is important from both a climate change and local environmental perspective.

We are conducting research underpinning the environmentally safe and sustainable implementation of CCS by developing strategies and systems for effective monitoring and environmental impact assessment, which will increase confidence in CCS as a viable option for reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide, benefiting a broad range of stakeholders from regulatory bodies, to industry and the wider CCS community.

Our approach combines observations, field experiments, laboratory work and mathematical modelling to gain a better understanding of the behaviour of CO₂ in marine systems and how best to detect anomalous events.

Our CCS work has made an international impact on policy, by informing the London Convention on disposal at sea. We work closely with industry and policy makers, to quantify and lower operational risk as well as by proposing cost effective monitoring strategies. With the potential expansion of CCS in forthcoming years, this work has great potential for future application.

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