Study: Captured CO2 Can Be Safely Store for 'Thousands of Years'

Carbon dioxide emissions can be captured and stored underground safely for thousands of years, according to a new paper published yesterday in the science journal Nature Communications.

Researchers at the University of Aberdeen and the University of Edinburgh have used a global database of natural carbon dioxide and methane accumulations in rock formations, as well as geological expertise from the oil and gas industry and laboratory experiments, to model underground storage of CO₂ over a 10,000 year period.

They concluded captured CO₂ will likely become naturally trapped in rock as microscopic bubbles, or dissolve into the salty water already contained in the rock, making it much less likely to leak than previously feared.

Based on the computer simulations, and assuming the CCS industry is subjected to well-regulated practices, the researchers estimate that 90 per cent of captured carbon emissions will remain safely stored after 10,000 years, in 95 per cent of cases.

The University of Aberdeen's Dr Juan Alcalde, who co-led the research, said the findings should help to reassure people wary of the risks associated with carbon capture and storage.

"The security of carbon dioxide storage is an understandable concern for people, communities and governments," he said. "Our work shows that the storage of carbon dioxide necessary to help address climate change can be secure for many thousands of years." (Business Green)