GNS says the New Zealand consortium will contribute money over the next seven years to the Aussie research centre which is investigating technology to separate CO2 from power plants, compress it into liquid form and inject it deep underground to remain for thousands of years.

GNS hydrocarbons manager David Darby says New Zealand’s storage potential is vast. “As well as depleted oil and gas fields, there are deep saline aquifers and unmineable coal seams. Carbon dioxide storage may even lead to enhanced oil and gas production from depleting hydrocarbon fields.”

GNS researchers will contribute new skills to the CRC, including expertise in complex petroleum reservoirs, active faulting, and risk assessment. In turn, the New Zealand investment will be enormously leveraged to resolve issues such as identifying the best sites for subsurface storage in New Zealand’s complex geological environment.

Genesis Power intends trialling a new filter system to capture CO2 at its 1000MW gas-coal fuelled Huntly power station.