The Danish Energy Agency (DEA) has granted a permit for Greensand's pilot project. The project includes the injection and storage of up to 15,000 tonnes of CO2 in the former Nini West oil field over a four-month period. The permit marks a Danish milestone, as it is the first time permission has been granted for the injection and storage of CO2 in the Danish subsoil.
On 6 December 2022, the DEA granted permission for INEOS E&P and Wintershall Dea to begin a time- and volume-limited injection of CO2 into the Danish subsoil in connection with the Greensand Pilot Injection Project. The DEA's decision has been made on the basis of an overall assessment of i.a. the project's environmental impacts, the applicant's technical capacity for safe execution of the project and the applicant's knowledge of the subsoil as well as the monitoring plan.
INEOS E&P and Wintershall Dea applied on 30 August 2022 to the DEA for a permit for geological storage of CO2 in order to test, develop and demonstrate that CO2 can be stored in the former Nini West oil field in the North Sea.
Specifically, the permit allows up to 15,000 tonnes of CO2 to be injected in Project Greensand's pilot phase. The permit is valid for a period of four months and expires on 1 April 2023. The permit has been issued pursuant to § 3 of executive order no. 974 of 22 June 2022 on geological storage of CO2 of less than 100 kilotons with regard to research, development or testing of new products and processes.
Project Greensand's pilot phase involves pumping CO2 into a sandstone reservoir approx. 1800 m below sea level. The sandstone reservoir lies under a series of shale layers that act as a lid or seal, so the CO2 will be trapped in the porous sandstone cavities.
As part of the processing of the application, an assessment was carried out as to whether the pilot project, including well work and injection, will cause significant negative impacts on the surrounding environment. It is assessed that the applicant has provided sufficient documentation that the project will not cause significant negative impacts on protected areas ("Natura 2000 areas"), protected species ("Annex IV species") and their habitats ("breeding and rest areas").
WSCO has worked with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies for a number of years and is following the developments in this area closely.
