On June 16, 2010, CSA Standards and the International Performance Assessment Centre for
Geologic Storage of Carbon Dioxide (IPAC-CO2 Research Inc.)
announced an agreement to develop
Canada's first carbon capture and storage (CCS) standard for
underground storage.
CCS is a process that involves the capture, transportation and
injection of carbon dioxide emissions underground, which many
believe is a promising technology to assist certain
emissions-intensive industries to reduce CO2 emissions.
Several large-scale projects involving CCS have been announced in
recent years in Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.
The proposed standard focuses primarily on long-term underground
storage of CO2. According to a representative of CSA
Standards, the new standard will create guidelines for, and advance
risk assessment expertise associated with, geological storage
projects. As mentioned in the March 2010 edition of Stikeman
Elliott's Emission Trading and Climate Change Update, risks
associated with long-term storage include the reliability of
injection and the effectiveness of ongoing monitoring and
verification. In addition, the perpetual nature of storage also
makes the siting of CCS important, including the specific
geological characteristics of the proposed storage site and
site-specific risks. The development of this standard represents an
opportunity to promote careful site selection while also instilling
public confidence in the reliability and safety of long-term
storage and monitoring and verification. Ideally, the standard will
contain important technical guidelines, while also remaining
flexible enough to address site-specific characteristics, emerging
technologies, and new information.
It is intended that the completed standard will be submitted to the
Standards Council of Canada for
recognition. If recognized, it could become the world's first
formally recognized standard in underground storage.
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