National Grid and ETI to start test drilling of carbon dioxide storage site

National Grid and the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) have announced plans to conduct the UK's first drilling assessment of a saline formation site for the storage of carbon dioxide. The site to be assessed is a saline formation - a layer of porous sandstone rock over 1km below the seabed - and is 70km off Flamborough Head in Yorkshire.

The ETI has invested £2 million in the project.

National Grid will lead a programme to drill one or two wells in the seabed to gather data to confirm that carbon dioxide can be safely and permanently stored at the site, while also confirming the scale and economics of the store.

Jim Ward, Head of CCS at National Grid said: “We believe we are the first in the UK to physically assess a saline site for the storage of carbon dioxide.”

He said existing information had confirmed the proposed store is very large, capable of storing carbon dioxide from several sources over a number of decades. The site is close to the shore and near two major clusters of carbon dioxide emitters in the UK.

Andrew Green, ETI Programme Manager for CCS added: “Our strategic analysis has shown that the development of CCS as a viable technology in the UK is a critical component to enable the country to meet its future carbon dioxide reduction targets.

“The ETI’s UK Storage Appraisal Project has clearly demonstrated that CCS roll out will require use of both depleted oil and gas reservoirs and saline formations, and that appraisal of saline stores at this stage of CCS development is critical.

Through our involvement in this project we hope to help Government and industry including other potential storage operators fully understand the potential capacities of saline formation sites.”