The聽storage component of聽Boundary Dam鈥檚 Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)聽project,聽named聽Aquistore,聽received its official ribbon cutting ceremony on a breezy Friday afternoon at its research聽site near Boundary Dam聽(BD).聽
Eight months after the official of the retrofitted BD3 unit, the $45 million independent research project dubbed聽Aquistore聽was unveiled in its entirety through a series of site tours and demonstrations that was attended by politicians, engineers and students from the University of Regina.聽
"The results of the聽Aquistore聽project will be critical for the future and ongoing development of deep storage of CO2 around the globe," said Ken From, CEO of the Petroleum Technology Research Centre (PTRC) during the聽opening remarks.聽
The not-for-profit corporation聽researches聽technologies for the petroleum industry.聽Aquistore聽is one of PTRC's projects that will continue until 2017.聽聽
"PTRC is a聽centre聽point for the world-class research into the technical and geological aspects of safe storage of CO2," From said.聽
In an attempt to reduce Saskatchewan's greenhouse gas emissions, which according to Statistics聽Canada are the in Canada on a per capita basis,聽the Government of Saskatchewan is hoping聽the combination of BD3 and聽Aquistore聽will聽demonstrate that storing CO2 deep underground is a safe and workable solution to the problem.聽
So far, the technology is working, providing researchers with valuable information on the province's geological landscape, while potentially聽putting a聽dent in the province's high greenhouse gas emissions. The data on the project鈥檚 ultimate impact won't聽be available聽until GHG readings for 2014 and 2015 are analyzed.
About 1,000聽tonnes聽of liquefied CO2 is聽injected to be permanently stored underground on a daily basis聽after it鈥檚 captured聽from BD3. This is聽a聽small portion of the overall captured CO2, the majority of which is sold to Cenovus for approximately $25 per聽tonne.聽
Saskatchewan's recently appointed minister of the environment聽Herb Cox聽scrummed with reporters after the opening ceremony and said the technology involved with聽Aquistore聽is "world class" and has piqued the interests of companies and technology enthusiasts from around the globe.聽
Cox also addressed聽remarks he made in the Legislature聽about climate change shortly after his appointment to environment minister, when he said he wanted to talk to his officials and "find out where we're at as far as the science goes."聽
Cox told reporters on Friday everyone should be concerned about climate change, a statement he said he repeated聽after his appointment.聽
"Admittedly,聽I may have been a little cautious with my next answers,聽but聽(the Government of Saskatchewan)聽is absolutely concerned about climate change and we think these kinds of聽projects聽will alleviate some聽 (GHG emissions)."聽
Though the project is only in its early phases of operation, From told reporters聽the information they've been able to analyze so far is exciting.聽
"We have pressure confirmation when the聽CO2 is being injected,聽we can see the聽pressure聽response in the聽observation well,聽which is 150 m away," he said, adding it will be interesting to see the CO2's change in聽temperature as it moves further down the 3.4 km聽deep聽injection well.聽
A lot of the聽data the PTRC is looking forward to analyzing will occur once the CO2 reaches the observation well, which From noted, hasn't happened yet.聽
"The full analysis will take years," he聽added.聽
Souris-Moose Mountain MP聽Ed聽Komarnicki聽was at the聽Aquistore聽site to celebrate the official opening of the project and told reporters after opening remarks that聽no additional federal funding is being allocated towards聽Aquistore聽at this time. The federal government has already invested $14 million in Aquistore.
He addressed his upcoming retirement from politics, and said it would be nice to one day see other players in the oil industry tap into the captured CO2 and use it for their own聽enhanced oil recovery needs.聽
"I've always been of the view that there are many other junior oil players and other oil wells in the area and it would be very nice if there was some way to create a piping system that would allow others to tap into that system and use it for enhanced oil recovery in the area," he said.聽
Komarnicki聽said he understands a system of that complexity would聽take extensive planning and dedication on behalf of the parties involved, and added he believes it to be "doable."聽
Over the course of聽Aquistore's聽development, nearby landowners have been heavily involved in conversations regarding the project, and according to Dr. Ben聽Rostron, a professor of earth and atmospheric sciences at the University of Alberta聽and science and engineering committee member, they've聽been ensured that the process of injecting CO2 into the ground is safe.聽
"Everyone knows what's going on," he said. "We've had a very good response from landowners."聽
University of Regina students Jamie聽Kraushaar聽and Ying聽Piewkhaow聽attended the聽Aquistore聽ribbon cutting ceremony with much enthusiasm. The two are summer students working with the Ministry of聽Environment聽and were聽interested in the progress of carbon capture technology.聽
Piewkhaow聽has a PhD in engineering and is currently studying CCS technology. She said it is "extremely" important this technology is used and studied further.聽
"We have to capture the carbon somehow, because it will help with the聽environment," she said.
