The Australian Government hopes the $A30 million project, involving 40 Australian and overseas researchers, will lead the way in cutting greenhouse gas emissions, increasing energy efficiency and increasing the use of renewable energy.

“While a few similar projects exist in the Northern Hemisphere, the CO2CRC project will be the first in Australia to demonstrate geological storage and monitor the CO2 before, during and after its injection in deep geological formations,” CO2CRC chief Dr Peter Cook said.

The project will simulate the capture of CO2 from a power station, transport the CO2 several kilometres by pipeline and store it 2km beneath the Earth’s surface.

Over the one- to two-year period the CO2 is injected, scientists will monitor the behaviour of the gas in an effort to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of the technology, Cook said.