Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS)
Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) is an essential mechanism for capturing and safely storing carbon dioxide (CO2) from large industrial emitters, supporting global emission reduction targets. Project economics and stakeholder acceptance are dependent on successful long-term geological storage of CO2 and the avoidance of a loss of containment.
Risktec is actively supporting CCUS projects to manage risks, considering the full project life-cycle and covering all stages of the CCUS process, providing a range of services tried and tested in other industries and tailored to suit the specific challenges of this sector.
Managing the risks of CO2 in CCUS projects
Geological security is fundamental to the success of CCUS. Unless the long-term integrity of underground storage can be assured, the environmental benefits of CCUS will not be achieved and public health and environmental protection could be compromised.
The likelihood of a major accident related to CCUS should be very low if appropriate risk management measures are employed. Risktec has successfully applied tried and tested Major Accident Hazard (MAH) management techniques from oil, gas, chemical and other high hazard industries in a CCUS context, with the aim of demonstrating that risks are properly controlled to As Low As Reasonably Practicable (ALARP).
Some key risk considerations for CCUS include:
- Integrity of transport and injection equipment and the storage site
- Repurposing of hydrocarbon production infrastructure
- Simultaneous Operations (SIMOPS) with ongoing hydrocarbon production
- Highly energy intensive capture process
