Carbon capture possible for Ireland

Carbon could be captured from heavy emitting power plants and stored in geological vaults such as the former Kinsale Gas Field off the coast of Cork, according to a government agency.


Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) said that carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology could contribute towards the construction of greener power stations within five years.

SEI, which was responding to a report from the Environmental Protection Agency, claimed that using the Kinsale Gas Field to store carbon could cut Ireland’s emissions by 6%.

Overall estimates suggest that there could be enough locations in Ireland to store 5,000m tonnes of CO2 – enough to store electricity sector emissions for 250 years.

Dr Mary Kelly, director general of the EPA, told the Irish Times: “[The report] represents the first step in evaluating carbon capture and storage in an Irish context.

“However, the deployment of this technology is still at a relatively early stage.”

One Norwegian gas field is already using this technology, while a power plant in Germany has begun a pilot study.

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