Is carbon capture and storage a proven technology?
Leading scientists and international authorities such as the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have identified carbon capture and storage as having the potential to safely and effectively help the energy sector reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. While the risks associated with CCS are small, the Government takes any potential risk very seriously. Possible risks of carbon storage projects include: • Leakage of stored carbon dioxide into the atmosphere • Equipment malfunction • Migration of carbon dioxide to other geological areas. Major demonstrations of these technologies are currently underway in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley and Otway regions. Pilot programs are also underway in countries like Norway, Japan and the USA. The Australian Federal Government has allocated $2.0 billion in new funding and $2.425 billion overall in its 2009-10 Budget towards industrial-scale carbon capture and storage projects. The Federal Government has also established the Global Carbon Capture an
