The Conceptual Subsurface Carbon Storage Development Planning for a Seashore Carbon Storage Site in Taiwan

Abstract

ABSTRACT As a feedback to the plan to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 unveiled by the Taiwanese government, this study, the conceptual subsurface carbon storage development plan, was conducted for a selected seashore carbon storage site to blueprint the project and make an initial feasibility assessment. The development plan includes the placement of injection and monitoring wells, conceptual design of injection wells and monitoring wells, and conceptual risk management plan and monitoring planning. In this paper, we describe the conceptual design process, summarizes the key considerations and findings from the work, and provides good references for those CCS projects at the inception stage. INTRODUCTION In 2022, The government of Taiwan announced the goal of "2050 Net-Zero Emissions" to combat climate change, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) is considered a critical part of the overall solution to achieve this goal. Under the mandate of the government, CPC Corporation, Taiwan has set up an ambitious plan to commence commercial carbon capture and storage (CCS) operations in 2030. The goal is to inject 5 million metric tons/yr (MTPA) and gradually build up to 14 MTPA CO2 into the selected seashore site and offshore sites. Unlike other large-scale oil and gas field development projects, CCS projects face unique challenges because of the lack of regulations in many places around the world, the long CO2 flow chain from capture, transportation and storage, and relatively high geological and geomechanical risks for long-term containment in the data-scarce saline aquifers. To mitigate these risks, an extensive literature review of the international CCS guidelines and standards and the previous CCS projects were conducted, the relevant guidelines and standards were identified, and lessons learned and best practices from the previous CCS projects were captured. A conceptual subsurface CCS field development plan was conducted by leveraging the enriched knowledge of worldwide CCS regulations and standards, the best practices and lessons learned. The development plan mapped out the timeline, requirements and cost of the key components of the CCS projects, which paves the foundation for the successful execution of the project.