Australia approves seabed site for carbon storage

The Australian government has designated a seabed site off its northern coast for carbon dioxide storage, where a Japanese company plans to inject hundreds of millions of tons of CO2 using carbon capture technology.

The site, located near Darwin in the Timor Sea, will be used to store up to 443 million metric tons of CO2 over 35 years. The project is led by Japanese energy company Inpex, which is conducting environmental impact assessments.

Inpex stated that the primary customer for the site would be its majority-owned Ichthys liquefied natural gas facility, which exports most of its gas to Japan. Other companies may also use the site for CO2 storage in the future.

Australian Resources Minister Madeleine King called the site designation an important step in supporting technologies that reduce emissions. She emphasized the role of carbon capture in helping hard-to-abate industries transition to net zero.

Environmental groups, including the Australian Marine Conservation Society, expressed concerns that the project would harm marine, coastal, and terrestrial ecosystems. They highlighted the potential for sediment disturbance, water pollution, and noise affecting wildlife, including whales and plankton.

The project would involve significant construction activity, including dredging and drilling, which could disrupt habitats for threatened and migratory species such as dugongs, turtles, and seabirds. Environmentalists warned that ongoing monitoring for leaks would continue to impact the ecosystem for decades.