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UK government gives the go-ahead to store 100 MILLION tonnes of CO2 under the North Sea - but experts raise fears the greenhouse gas could leak and taint water supplies


Published on 2024-12-11 22:22:29 - Daily Mail
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  • Starting in 2027, a coalition of energy companies will pump four million tonnes of CO2 per year into a reservoir off the Yorkshire coast - but some experts have questioned the plan's safety.

The UK government has approved the construction of the first commercial-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in North Yorkshire, despite concerns from environmental groups about its effectiveness and potential risks. The project, named the East Coast Cluster, aims to capture carbon emissions from industrial sources and store them under the North Sea. Critics argue that CCS technology is unproven at scale, could lead to environmental disasters like leaks, and might distract from more direct methods of reducing emissions. The government, however, sees CCS as crucial for meeting its net zero emissions target by 2050, arguing that it will help decarbonize industries where emissions are hard to eliminate. The approval comes with conditions to ensure safety and environmental protection, but skepticism remains about the technology's long-term viability and its role in climate strategy.

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[ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-14181041/government-approves-carbon-capture-risks.html ]