CCS

CCS

The purpose of this website is to inform the reader of the industrial process known as Carbon Capture and (geological) Storage – CCS in shorthand.

Canada is legally committed to meeting net-zero carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2050 under the 2015 Paris Agreement, which was adopted by 196 nations. The Paris Agreement works on a five-year cycle of increasingly ambitious climate action to be undertaken by each nation. Every five years, each country is expected to submit an updated climate action plan -- known as their Nationally Determined Contribution.

Consequently, Canadian provincial governments have begun to implement regulations to govern how CCS is to be managed within their borders. Alberta was the first to enact CCS regulations in 2010 that prescribed how dedicated geological storage would permanently sequester CO2 in deep rock formations. Saskatchewan and British Columbia are also recognized by the Federal Government as having effective regulations for dedicated geological storage of CO2. No province in central or eastern Canada has adopted CCS regulations as of mid-2024, i.e., received royal assent in a provincial legislature and become law.

The short guide, which is included on this website as both a document and a PowerPoint presentation, explains:

  • Why CO2 must be prevented from being emitted by industrial processes – i.e., captured –and stored geologically.
  • How carbon (CO2) capture works at industrial plants.
  • How this CO2 is transported from industrial plants to storage hubs for dedicated geological storage.
  • The requirements for safe geological storage.
  • The hazards to life and property that may arise in CCS operations.