A. Carbon Capture and Storage (or CCS) is the process of capturing carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, and storing it deep in the subsurface. The carbon dioxide is captured from a large source of emissions, such as a fossil-fuel burning power plant or a cement plant.
 
Q. Why is CCS important?

A.CCS is an important technological tool that can help prevent large amounts of greenhouse gases created each day from reaching the atmosphere by depositing and storing large volumes safely underground. Currently, we (the world) are emitting approximately 30 billon tonnes of CO2 annually. 

Q. How effective of a tool is CCS for addressing climate change on a global scale?

A. Scientists estimate that applying a CCS strategy can account for 19 per cent or almost one in every five tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions that are targeted to be eliminated by the year 2050. In other words, at 2050 numbers, two years of CO2 emissions reductions would be equivalent to the entire natural gas industry’s current production of natural gas.

Q. What does the acronym IPAC-CO2 mean?

A. The International Performance Assessment Centre for the Geologic Storage of Carbon Dioxide is also known as IPAC-CO2.

Q. What will IPAC-CO2 do?

A. IPAC-CO2 will provide independent research to help governments develop the policies and regulations required for the large-scale deployment of CCS. It will also help industry assess the feasibility of CCS projects and inform the public about the viability of the geologic storage of carbon dioxide as way of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. IPAC will provide independent verification that geological storage projects are undertaken in a safe and effective manner.

Q. When will IPAC-CO2 be up and running?

A. IPAC-CO2 is operational and has established partnerships with research organizations in seven countries on six continents. In addition to work at the University of Regina, partnerships have been established with groups in Brazil, China, Europe, India, South Africa, the United States, and Australia as well as other Canadian universities. Specific projects are being discussed with IPAC-CO2 but have not yet begun.

Q. How will IPAC-CO2 do business?

A. Most of the research will be done through a Community of Practice located at www.ipac-co2.org. This online Community of Practice is the first of its kind to be applied towards carbon capture and storage. The Community of Practice now is in Beta test thanks to the support of the federal government. It is the collaborative means by which IPAC will engage and work with industry and government from around the world.
 
Q. Give me an example of the type of work that will be done through the Community of Practice.

A. The Community of Practice is the tool that will links research scientists including those at the Canadian Standards Association to begin establishing a framework to assess the risk of storing carbon dioxide in the ground.  Today, there are no standards to assess this risk. That’s the fundamental work IPAC-CO2 will be doing. It’s like establishing a building code for building inspectors to follow except it’s for a brand new, global industry called Carbon Capture and Storage.

 Q. Who were the founding or anchor partners in IPAC-CO2?

A. Royal Dutch Shell and the Government of Saskatchewan contributed founding investments of $5 million each over the next five years to support IPAC-CO2’s activities. The Government of Canada, through Western Economic Diversification, has provided a $4 million for IPAC-CO2.  The University of Regina is providing significant in-kind and administrative support.

Q. What will the $4 million from the Government of Canada be used to do?

A. IPAC-CO2 is using the federal funding to purchase sophisticated analytic equipment to better understand what is happening to CO2 in the subsurface and to provide better data on storage sites. IPAC-CO2 will create a Community of Practice to work with researchers, industry and regulators around the world. IPAC-CO2 will conduct modeling of carbon capture systems and, finally, it will work with the Canadian Standards Association and the International Standards Organization to develop the first national and international standards for geological storage.

Q. Will IPAC-CO2 earn a profit?

A. No.  The centre has been federally incorporated as a not-for-profit organization.

Q. Where will IPAC-CO2 be located?

A. The secretariat offices are located at the University of Regina, at 2 Research Drive. Much of the research will be done collaboratively through a Community of Practice located around the world and connected through a secure web site (www.ipac-co2.org).

Q. If Shell was one of the founding members of IPAC-CO2, how can the centre be an independent organization?

A. IPAC-CO2 is designed to be an objective body, able to independently advise regulators and policy makers, and help educate communities with CCS projects.  The assessments performed by the centre will be based on work undertaken by teams of independent researchers and subject to third-party validation as appropriate. There will also be appropriate segregation between funding, governance, management and the research. In fact, Shell is deliberately absent from this press announcement today because of their complete commitment to IPAC’s indepence.

Q. What does a project in the southeastern Saskatchewan oil patch near Weyburn have to do with Carbon Capture and Storage?

A. The International Energy Agency Weyburn Enhanced Oil Recovery CO2 Project is the world’s first CO2 measuring, monitoring and verification initiative. Launched in 2000, this $80-million international project studies CO2 injection and storage underground in depleted oil fields. The goal of the project’s Final Phase (2005-2011) is to deliver the framework necessary to encourage implementation of CO2 geological storage on a worldwide basis. IPAC builds on the experience gained in Saskatchewan from this important project.

Q. How can companies, non-government organizations, governments or research institutions become part of IPAC-CO2?

A. For more information, please e-mail info@ipac-co2.com