CTSCo Project

Glencore has been a long-term supporter of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology to reduce emissions and service a low emission economy.
 

The International Energy Agency views CCS as a 'key technology' in the global transition to a low-carbon economy.
 

The project

Glencore’s wholly-owned Carbon Transport and Storage Corporation (CTSCo) Pty Limited Project aims to conduct CCS, initially on a demonstration scale, and if successful, on an industrial scale.
 

The CTSCo Project is focused on:
 

  • capturing CO2 from a coal-fired power station in Queensland

  • evaluating the feasibility of storage by injection testing of the captured CO2 deep underground in the Surat Basin in Queensland.

The project:
 

  • is intended as a first step toward large-scale CCS

  • enables future industries including hydrogen production

  • contributes to Australian and Queensland Government climate and emission reduction goals.

Visit our CTSCo Project website to learn more.

EIS public submission

The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) public submission period for the CTSCo Project (also known as the Surat Basin Carbon Capture and Storage (SBCCS) Project) is now closed. The EIS submissions will be reviewed, assessed and responded to in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (EP Act).
Learn more and download the EIS

Key facts about the CTSCo Project

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CTSCo project

CO2 injection process

In 2019, CTSCo secured the EPQ10 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) exploration permit located in the southern Surat Basin. The project currently has approval to undertake exploration work over the permit area.

Exploration activities include:

  • drilling wells to determine geology and water quality
  • environmental and social baseline studies to support the approvals process
  • seismic surveys determine geological structures and features.

The CTSCo project will be seeking approval for a small-scale CO2 injection testing via an injection well deep into a rock formation more than two kilometres below the surface.

CTSCo is partnering with the China Huaneng Group (CHG), shareholder in the Millmerran Power Station in Queensland, to develop CO2 capture technology for existing power stations.

We have completed feasibility and front-end engineering design studies into delivering an integrated post-combustion capture (PCC) plant at Millmerran.

The plant will capture 110,000 tonnes of CO2 per year, ready for transport.

CTCo's injection testing of the CO2 storage is a potential pathway to an industrial scale storage hub in Queensland, capable of servicing multiple industries, including power generation, hydrogen production, cement manufacturing, steel manufacturing, fertiliser production and chemical manufacturing.

In December 2019, the Queensland Government granted CTSCo a Greenhouse Gas (GHG) exploration permit – at EPQ10 – in the southern part of the Surat Basin. Since then, we have conducted exploration and appraisal activities within the tenement, including successful drilling of wells.

These activities aim to confirm the location for the injection testing project and provide foundation data for future industrial-scale CO2 storage.

With funding support from the Australian Government, Low Emission Technologies Australia (LETA) (formerly COAL21), Australian National Low Emissions Coal (ANLEC) R&D Limited, Marubeni Corporation and Electric Power Development Co (J-POWER), Glencore expects to make a final investment decision on the CTSCo Project following approvals processes.

The key objective of the CTSCo Project is to demonstrate carbon capture from a power station and evaluate the feasibility of storage by injection testing of the captured CO2 in the Surat Basin in Queensland.

The project is intended as a first step toward large-scale CCS, with the potential for emissions from multiple industrial sources being captured and safely stored. Any larger scale project would be subject to separate approvals processes under the relevant legislation.

Project partners

We gratefully acknowledge the ongoing technical and funding support from a range of organisations that make a vital contribution to this project.

We are also grateful for the specialist researchers who support us, including scientists and leading technical experts who have been engaged to undertake specific scientific studies and programs in the areas of geology, geophysics, storage and water.

Leading institutions involved include University of Queensland, University of Melbourne, Australian National UniversityUniversity of Texas, Simon Fraser University (Calgary), CSIRO and Institute of Mine Seismology Pty Ltd.

The CTSCo Project is located in the southern part of the Surat Basin in Queensland, more than 400 kilometres west of Brisbane, making it close to a number of industrial emission sources.

The Australian Government’s National Carbon Storage Taskforce report and the Queensland Government Greenhouse Gas Storage Atlas identified the Surat Basin as a key geological storage area for CO2. The Atlas concluded that there are almost three billion tonnes of theoretical CO2 storage potential available in the Basin. The Precipice Sandstone (aquifer) accounts for 1.3 billion tonnes of this theoretical storage potential.

The CTSCo Project is subject to a range of assessments and approvals under Local, State and Commonwealth Government regulations. We are committed to working closely with local communities to consider the potential economic, environmental, social and cultural impacts of the project.

CTSCo’s current community and stakeholder engagement is informed by key learnings from CCS projects within Australia and overseas. We have also considered the insights and feedback from CTSCo’s studies in EPQ7 near Wandoan. We have applied these learnings to our local community and stakeholder engagement program in EPQ10.

Our community engagement program is based on the AA1000 Stakeholder Engagement and the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) principles of stakeholder engagement.

Glencore is currently assessing the suitability of its Surat Basin tenement for long-term CO2 storage.

Testing underway at CTSCo’s appraisal well in the Surat Basin.

CCS involves a group of technologies that can capture and permanently store the CO2 emissions produced from industrial processes, minimising the amount of CO2 emissions entering the atmosphere.

CCS uses proven technology and is already happening around the world. According to the Global CCS Institute, as of September 2022, there were 41 major CCS projects either operating or being built and 153 in various stages of development. Find out more about CCS projects around the world.

CCS involves three major steps: capturing CO2 at the source, compressing it for transportation and then injecting it deep underground into a storage site, where it is permanently stored.
 

  • Capture: The separation of CO2 from other gases produced from energy production or other industrial processes such as production of cement, steel, fertiliser and chemicals.

  • Transport: Once separated, the CO2 is compressed and transported via pipelines, trucks, ships or other methods to a suitable site for geological storage.

  • Storage: CO2 is injected into deep underground rock formations, usually at depths of one kilometre or more.

Because CCS can achieve significant CO2 emission reductions, it is considered a key option within the portfolio of approaches required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. *
 

* Source: Global CCS Institute

CO2 injection process

Download our fact sheets and publications to learn more about the CTSCo Project.

Key facts about the CTSCo Project

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Open letter to community

Our response to claims made about the CTSCo Project.
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CTSCo Project Brochure

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EIS fact sheets and other quick links

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