British Columbia
The most promising area of development for carbon capture and storage is in North East British Columbia where shale gas is being developed. The natural gas stored in shale has a high CO2 content. This CO2 can be extracted and then transported to storage locations in North East B.C. or to enhanced oil recovery markets (EOR) in Alberta.
Overall, B.C. has diverse natural resource industries spanning forestry, mineral exploration, mining, and oil and gas. B.C. also has renewable energy, primarily hydroelectricity. For the most part emissions from these industries are disperse and difficult to capture. However, in the future capture may be possible at aluminum and cement manufacturing facilities.
There is one proposed CCS project in North East B.C. at Spectra Energy’s natural gas processing plant. The project is currently on hold due to lack of funding.
Sources and Sinks
| British Columbia | |
| Annual CO2 Emissions (Mt, 2008)* | 65 |
| Annual Large Industrial CO2 Emissions (Mt, 2008)** | 15 |
| Total CO2 Storage Capacity (Mt)** | 2130 |
* Source: Environment Canada
** Source: NETL and US DOE Carbon Sequestration Program