Government Delivers Funding for Carbon Capture, Storage Research

Nova Scotia is moving ahead with research that could reduce greenhouse gases thanks to $5 million in funding from the Government of Canada.

The research will examine carbon capture and storage -- how to contain the gas and hold it underground instead of releasing it into the atmosphere.

The announcement was made today, April 23, by Energy Minister Richard Hurlburt and Natural Resources Canada Minister Gary Lunn. The funding will support the work of the Carbon Storage Research Consortium, with membership from the provincial government, academic community and industry.

"We need to know if carbon capture and storage represents a practical tool to protect the environment," said Mr. Hurlburt. "Nova Scotia has some of the best researchers in the country and now they have funding to find out."

"Canada's fossil fuel resources are one of our country's biggest economic drivers, but we must find cleaner ways to produce and use those resources," said Mr. Lunn. "With our world-leading carbon capture and storage technology, we can achieve our goals in a way that is good for the environment and economy."

According to the report of the Canada-Alberta ecoENERGY CCS Task Force, carbon capture and storage technology could allow Canada to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 600 million tonnes a year by 2050 - equal to almost three-quarters of Canada's current annual emissions.

The potential for underground storage of carbon dioxide in western Canada is already well known.

The funding from the federal government will be used to advance the understanding of underground storage opportunities in Nova Scotia, where coal-fired generating stations supply about three-quarters of the province's electricity.

The Carbon Storage Research Consortium will conduct studies into Nova Scotia's geology and hydrogeology, both onshore and offshore, to determine potential storage sites. The government of Canada's contribution to the research was committed in its 2008 budget, and will be delivered once legislation has been passed.