British study reviews impact of marine CCS leaks

A report from the British Geological Survey found leaks from subsea carbon capture and storage pose a minimal risk to marine ecosystems.

BGS published a study in journal Nature Climate Change that found damage to marine life from a controlled small-scale leak of carbon dioxide from CO2 storage reservoirs was minimal.

"The results show that small-scale leakage will not be catastrophic, although we do caution that impacts are likely to increase if a larger amount of CO2 is released," project leader Jerry Blackford said in a statement Monday.

The International Energy Agency last year said carbon capture and storage technology, or CCS, is a "necessary addition" to other low-carbon energy technologies meant to drive down global greenhouse gas emissions.

The BGS-led study found changes to the marine ecosystem were induced by CO2 during the testing, but impacts returned to background levels in less than a month after the release ended.

The British government in August said it could be a world leader in commercial CCS development, boasting of close to $1.7 billion in program investments.