Scotland puts forward CCS proposals

Scotland has put forward proposals for establishing carbon capture and storage (CCS) plants under the sea bed. A study released by the Scottish Government and the Scottish Centre for Carbon Storage suggests that oil fields that have been closed under the seabed could be used over the next twenty years for CCS purposes. The proposal says that around 50 billion tonnes of greenhouse emissions could be stored under the sea. Some 29 sites are currently under consideration. The CO₂ would be placed in saline aquifers, which are pockets in the seabed that have a high concentration of salt water. This would act as a sealant, holding in the CO₂.