How Does It Work?

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) involves recovering carbon dioxide (CO₂) at the emission source and storing it permanently underground to prevent release into the atmosphere.

Carbon capture technologies are especially well suited to industrial facilities emitting large quantities of carbon, such as power plants, cement plants, oil refineries, steel plants, petrochemical complexes and fertilizer plants. Different CCS processes are potentially applicable to 7,000 industrial sites around the world. CCS may also play a significant role in the responsible development of unconventional oil and gas resources.

However, a number of hurdles remain before these processes can be implemented on a more widespread commercial scale.

A Vital R&D Focus

We are involved in a number of R&D and demonstration projects worldwide to help make CCS viable and gain proficiency in this technology.
We are exploring all options to help bring the most efficient, sustainable processes to commercial maturity and are already studying the feasibility of their implementation in growth projects, for example oil sands development, liquefied natural gas production and developing sour gas fields.

Since early 2010, we have been testing a commercial-scale integrated CO₂ capture and storage process at our Lacq complex in southwestern France . The process spans extraction, treatment and oxy-fuel combustion of natural gas, capture, treatment and transport of the carbon, then storage at a depth of more than 4,000 meters in a depleted gas reservoir. This demonstrator unit, one of the very first of its type in the world, will capture and store around 100,000 metric tons of carbon in 2010 and 2011.
Prior to start-up, a wide-ranging consultation process was engaged with local stakeholders, including site neighbors, elected officials, citizens' groups, economic and social players in the region, and scientific experts. Monitoring procedures were put in place under the supervision of independent experts, in order to assess the project's results and impacts.

In yet another program, we are cooperating with the French Petroleum and Alternative Energies Institute (IFPEN) to develop a combustion technique that incorporates carbon separation in the process and requires only a very small amount of energy. Known as chemical looping combustion. this very promising technology was successfully pilot-tested in 2010. Its commercial scale-up will continue with a larger pilot in 2013.

We are also participating in the France Nord project, as part of a partnership of public stakeholders, companies and research organizations. It will study the option of locating infrastructure for a carbon transportation and storage pilot, used by several carbon-emitting industries, in the sedimentary basin of central-northern France.

Promoting Carbon Capture and Storage

Since late 2010, we have been supporting environmental NGO Bellona, which is working to promote CCS processes worldwide.