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The challenge

Exploring CCS technologies in Australia

A range of solutions will be required to reach globally agreed emissions reductions targets for carbon dioxide (CO2). Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is part of the suite of technologies that will contribute to lowering atmospheric emissions of CO2 from Australia's energy system. There are a wide variety of technologies at various stages of technical and commercial readiness, with more development underway for cost effective CO2 capture and storage.

Our response

Extensive testing and monitoring

The Moorings Array is a state-of-the-art piece of technology for marine monitoring.

Our research will provide new knowledge to inform cost-efficient measurement, monitoring and verification (MMV) of the environment of CCS projects in coastal waters.

To do this, our team will procure, test and implement advanced research technologies and methods for subsea CO2 storage monitoring in the marine environment. This includes bringing together advances in sensor technology, autonomous and remote vehicles and state-of-the-art networked solutions. We will also acquire next-generation marine moorings, seabed landers and unmanned surface vehicles equipped with CO2 and bubble sensing technology.

Research will be undertaken to gain knowledge about the Victorian Gippsland coastal marine environment through our involvement with the CCSNET and ANLEC R&D research initiatives.

ANLEC R&D and the Australian Government's Education Investment Fund support GipNet (part of CCSNET) which is managed by the CO2CRC. The research involves testing and validating equipment that could be used by CarbonNet or international CCS projects. Our measurement and modelling capability of CO2 behaviour in marine environments will inform future monitoring needs and frameworks for demonstration and industrial scale deployment of CO2 storage.

[Music plays and CSIRO logo appears on a black screen]

[Text appears on a blue screen: State-of-the-art marine monitoring, Carbon capture and storage (CCS)]

[Text appears: We are researching methods and guidelines for marine monitoring by testing a range of new CCS technologies]

[Image changes to show Phil De Boer standing on the deck of a boat and text appears: Mr Phil De Boer, Team Leader]

Mr Phil De Boer: So, we’re at the beautiful Beauty Point.

[Image changes to show equipment on the ship and then the image changes to show an EdgeTech 200 DSS ROV and other equipment on the deck]

This is mobilisation week. So, we’re spending five days moving two truckloads of gear from Hobart and positioning it on the ship.

[Camera zooms in on equipment on the deck of the ship and then the image changes to show a corer on the deck of the ship and then the image changes to show a male opening up a laptop]

On the deck level we’ll have a lot of deck operations that will consist of ROV, towed camera and coring operations and we’ll be conducting those in daylight hours.

[Image changes to show a rear view of a male walking down a corridor and out onto the deck]

In total we’ll be looking at 12 CSIRO staff aboard the ship, working 24 hours.

[Image changes to show Phil talking to the camera and then the image changes to show the large orange container on the deck of the ship and then the camera zooms in on the container]

Behind us you will see an orange container.

[Camera zooms out to show the equipment on the deck of the ship again and then the image changes to show a male working on some of the equipment]

That was also loaded with a mobile crane and offers underway carbon monitoring and will be manned on 24 hours for a five-day period in the survey.

[Text appears: Testing and evaluating world-class technologies]

[Image changes to show Dr Eric Van Ooijen talking to the camera and then the image changes to show Eric working on the mooring and text appears: Dr Erik Van Ooijen, Team Leader]

Dr Eric Van Ooijen: So, I’ve building the ocean segregation moorings and also smaller instruments that goes on Landos. So, Sea Foxes they’re called.

[Image changes to show Matt Boyd, with the harbour in the background, talking to the camera and text appears: Mr Matt Boyd, Senior Technical Officer]

Mr Matt Boyd: So, the instrument behind us is actually, it’s a combined system.

[Image changes to show the EdgeTech 2000-DSS being lowered into the ocean and plunging beneath the surface and then the image changes to show a side scan image on a computer screen]

So, it actually acquires two different types of data. Basically, we tow it behind the vessel and one type of data is a side scan image, or a side scan sonar image and that is basically an image of the sea floor.

[Image changes to show Matt, with the harbour in the background, talking to the camera]

So, a bit like you would see a normal image, except in this scenario we’re actually using sound to generate that picture of the sea floor.

[Image changes to show a sound wave displayed on a computer screen]

The second type of data is our sub bottom profiler data. So, the sub bottom profiler actually sends out a beam of sound as well. It kind of gives an image from the sea floor down.

[Text appears: Delivering innovative solutions]

[Image changes to show a side view of the front of the BlueFin boat and then the camera zooms in on Tim Ryan and another male on the deck putting fishing rods together]

Tim Ryan: So, the CCS project is using a range of acoustics technologies to monitor the marine environment and understand what’s going on prior to the actual sequestration process starting.

[Image changes to show a rear view of the boat and then the image changes to show Matt and another male in conversation on the deck]

We’re working with acoustic systems on vessels during dedicated surveys.

[Image changes to show Tim talking to the camera surrounded by equipment and then gesturing at the equipment and text appears: Mr Tim Ryan, Senior Experimental Scientist]

We’re working with acoustic systems on unmanned science vehicles, so the Saildrone system and we also have moored systems which I’m standing next to now.

[Image changes to show Erik working on a laptop next to a mooring and then working on the mooring]

That will house acoustics that can do long term monitoring over sort of periods of six months taking recordings, a couple of times a day, for a period of time to get long term trends in the eco-system.

[Image changes to show Tim and another male working on laptops in the cabin of the ship and the camera zooms in on a rear view of them working]

We’re covering a really big range of new acoustic technologies and in the last few years there’s been an explosion of new devices coming out that can make more detailed measure. They can run at lower power.

[Image changes to show Tim and two males on the deck of the ship looking at a fishing rod mounted on the side of the ship and then the camera zooms in on the rod]

And rather than just conventional vessel mounted sounders which is the bread and butter of acoustics we now have systems that can go onto moored, into a moored situation and record over months, up to six months at a time.

[Image changes to show a male looking over the side of the ship and operating the fishing rod]

We also have systems going on unmanned science vehicles.

[Image changes to show Matt working at a computer inside the boat and then the camera zooms in on Matt as he works]

Those vehicles can stay out for six months at a time, recording acoustic data.

[Image changes to show Tim talking to the camera]

So, there’s all these absolutely wonderful new opportunities that are opening, opening up to us that will give us some really detailed insights of that marine environment.

[Music plays and the CSIRO logo and text appears on a blue screen: Australia’s innovation catalyst]

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State-of-the-art carbon capture and storage monitoring case study

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