Creating Community Links for Carbon Capture and Storage

Abstract

Carbon Capture and Storage remains a vital part of both the Greenhouse Gas abatement and energy security policies in the state Western Australia. The South West Hub is a Government and Industry led initiative to develop a carbon storage project in an area adjacent to the main carbon emitting industrial areas in the South West region of the State. In February to April 2014, DMP conducted a detailed 3D seismic survey (the Survey) in the Harvey and Waroona shires. The Survey area was roughly 150 square kilometres and consisted of 125 landholders. DMP conducted a comprehensive, 18 month community engagement program to support the roll out of the seismic survey. This program of activity was a test of the community engagement principles and practices set forward by among others, the World Resources Institute (WRI guidelines) and NETL's best practice guidelines for CCS projects in a potentially hostile environment. This case study will provide an overview of how the Department of Mines and Petroleum (DMP) incorporated elements of WRI and NETL best practice guidelines into project development and the effectiveness of these methods. Once land access negotiations commenced, it became abundantly clear that the technical aspects of the project was secondary to community engagement and meeting landholder requirements for access. This had a direct impact on project scheduling and was a contributing factor to a 12 month deferral of the project (the others being environmental and seasonal requirements). Summing up community engagement of the type undertaken is difficult due to the varying degrees of interaction between those directly affected by the land access, to the surrounding community, to those with particular views regarding renewable energy sources to those that can see economic benefits to the community.