National recognition for geosequestration project

The CO2CRC Otway Project has received national recognition from the Cooperative Research Centres Association for its innovation in science and research.

The project demonstrates geosequestration, which includes the safe compression, transport and storage of carbon dioxide, the most common greenhouse gas, in the deep subsurface.

The benefit of geosequestration is that it has the potential to make deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.

The project has integrated industry know-how and innovative research to demonstrate technologies that have commercial potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from large-scale stationary industrial sources of carbon dioxide, such as coal-fired power stations.

Once commercialised, there is potential for technology transfer to the booming economies of China and India, where there is a heavy dependence on fossil-fuel power. Key to the project is a program for monitoring subsurface carbon dioxide, developed by CO2CRC researchers from Australia, New Zealand, the US and Canada.

This monitoring program demonstrates the safety and security of carbon dioxide storage to the community, governments and industry.