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How can project developers, regulators and the public be assured that underground storage of CO2 is safe, predictable and commercially viable over the long term? DNV KEMA believes the answer to this question lies in a new certification framework for CO2 storage sites that is designed to mitigate these uncertainties through a site-specific and risk-based approach to site selection, monitoring and verification.

The new framework builds on preceding DNV KEMA guidelines for CO2 storage and is organised as two distinct documents for clarity. The first document is Recommended Practice (RP) J203 for the selection, qualification and management of geological storage sites. The second document is DNV Service Specification (DSS) 402, which defines the following statements and certificates that may be issued in accordance with the RP at successive stages of project development:

- Statement of Feasibility
- Statement of Endorsement
- Certificate of Fitness for Storage
- Certificate of Fitness for Closure

"The new framework builds on five years of development work with industry and regulators that took the form of Joint Industry Projects and resulted in publication of the CO2QUALSTORE and CO2WELLS guidelines,” explains Michael Carpenter, Acting Head of DNV KEMA’s CCS Unit in Oslo, Norway. “The content of both guidelines has been streamlined and collated into RP-J203, which will be actively maintained by DNV KEMA to take account of industry developments."

According to Carpenter the new framework fills a gap by providing a common international method for CO2 storage site selection, risk assessment, monitoring and verification. This is important because the safe, reliable and long-term storage of captured CO2 in geological reservoirs is a prerequisite for CCS, but remains a key uncertainty affecting wide-spread deployment of the technology.

"Confirmation of site suitability by an independent and trusted partner may therefore be helpful to create an extra level of reassurance. However, to provide reassurance to regulators and stakeholders the basis for such confirmation must be transparent, available to the public, and based on industry best practice,” emphasises Carpenter and adds, “the importance of such an internationally recognised process has become more critical with the recent inclusion of CCS under the CDM mechanism of the Kyoto protocol."

A key intention of RP-J203 is to harmonise implementation of CO2 geological storage in compliance with regulations, international standards and directives. To achieve this, the RP outlines generic workflows reflective of a site specific and risk-based approach that, if followed, should contribute to enhanced traceability and efficiency across projects. RP-J203 is consistent with the ISO31000 international standard for risk management and DNV KEMA has drawn on the body of technical and regulatory experience held within the upstream oil and gas industry throughout the development process. RP-J203 also represents one part of DNV KEMA’s contribution to the BIGCCS International Research Centre.