Samuela Vercelli

Deliberative Decarbonisation? Assessing the Potential of an Ethical Governance Framework for Low-Carbon Energy through the Case of Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage

In this paper we explore the potential of a framework of ethical governance for low-carbon energy. Developing mainly in the field of information and communications technology, ethical governance is concerned with the marginalisation of ethical and moral issues during development and deployment of new technologies. Focusing on early carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) projects, we argue that a focus on technical arguments in the governance of low-carbon energy similarly risks sidelining deeper issues such as fairness, justice, and values. We believe an ethical governance approach does have potential for low-carbon energy technologies like CCS, but also that climate change mitigation technologies pose particular challenges for the implementation of ethical governance.

Best Practice Guidance for Environmental Risk Assessment for offshore CO2 geological storage

Carbon dioxide (CO2) separated from natural gas has been stored successfully below the seabed off Norway for almost two decades. Based on these experiences several demonstration projects supported by the EU and its member states are now setting out to store CO2 captured at power plants in offshore geological formations. The ECO2 project was triggered by these activities and funded by the EU to assess the environmental risks associated with the sub-seabed storage of CO2 and to provide guidance on environmental practices. ECO2 conducted a comprehensive offshore field programme at the Norwegian storage sites Sleipner and Snohvit and at several natural CO2 seepage sites in order to identify potential pathways for CO2 leakage through the overburden, monitor seep sites at the seabed, track and trace the spread of CO2 in ambient bottom waters, and study the response of benthic biota to CO2. ECO2 identified a rich variety of geological structures in the broader vicinity of the storage sites that may have served as conduits for gas release in the geological past and located a seabed fracture and several seeps and abandoned wells where natural gas and formation water are released into the marine environment. Even though leakage may occur if these structures are not avoided during site selection, observations at natural seeps, release experiments, and numerical modelling revealed that the footprint at the seabed where organisms would be impacted by CO2 is small for realistic leakage scenarios. ECO2 conducted additional studies to assess and evaluate the legal framework and the public perception of CO2 storage below the seabed. The following guidelines and recommendations for environmental practices are based on these experiences.