Carbon capture and Storage as a preferred technology for mainstreaming the clean use of coal in Poland: second meeting

The Ministry of the Environment prepared the principles of amendments to the geological and mining regulations currently in force, being the transposition of the EU CCS Directive. The principles do not go beyond the scope of the Directive; therefore, they touch upon issues directly or indirectly related to CO2 storage in geological structures. On November 6, 2009, the Ministry initiated public consultations of the principles. The meeting organised by demosEUROPA Centre for European Strategy on November 17, 2009 aimed to discuss the proposals of the Ministry of the Environment and recommendations prepared by demosEUROPA within the project “Carbon capture and Storage as a preferred technology for mainstreaming the clean use of coal in Poland” operated with support from the British Strategic Programme Fund.

After the end of public consultations at the beginning of the next year, the Ministry of the Environment will submit to the Government Centre for Legislation the final version of assumptions for amendments to the Geological and Mining Law Act and other acts. On the basis of this, the Government Centre for Legislation will prepare a draft act and will send it for the government’s approval in the third or fourth quarter of 2010. If the Council of Ministers has no objections, the draft will be submitted to the Parliament.

In the meantime, efforts are under way within the Polish programme titled “Identification of formations and structures for safe CO2 geological storage with a relevant monitoring scheme” coordinated by the Polish Geological Institute. This is vital in the context of one of the most controversial items of the Ministry of the Environment assumptions: the possibility of a storage ban in Poland. As Minister Henryk Jezierski noted, the CCS Directive provides for such an option. Therefore, if the work conducted by the consortium of institutes proves that carbon dioxide storage in the structures surveyed is not possible or potentially dangerous, the storage may be prohibited. It will be known by the end of this year based on initial studies whether the storage in the identified structures near Bełchatów will be possible.

Professor Krzystolik of the Central Mining Institute noted that we won’t be 100% sure about storage potential until the structures are surveyed. After seismic analysis, it will be necessary to drill wells and pump CO2 to suitable structures as well to monitor its behaviour. Director Andrzej Przybycin of the Ministry of the Environment said the a pilot well should be completed soon.

The participants to the meeting were unanimous in that in order for CCS technologies to be efficiently and safely used in Poland, it would be necessary to define the principles of not only storage itself, but also the construction of capture facilities and transport infrastructure for CO2. Furthermore, it must be decided as to what authorities will supervise the safety of the whole process. The Ministry of the Environment will be responsible for storage and the Ministry of the Economy will supervise transport. Ms. Elżbieta Wróblewska of the Ministry of Economy noted that the Polish New Energy Policy until 2030 assumes further CCS technology tests and the construction of at least two pilot facilities; the Ministries, however, have not yet issued their positions on the coordination of work related to CO2 transport. The problem here is the lack of an act on linear projects.

Furthermore, the issues related to CCS funding are quite vital. According to entrepreneurs, crucial will be not only EU support (for example within 300 million free allowances), but also a stable legal framework and governmental support. Banks will not be willing to provide loans for such long-term investments (spanning a few dozen years) and, therefore, government guarantees may be very helpful in this context.

The participants in the meeting agreed that the issue of public opinion would be a considerable problem. Public education will be essential in the first place as currently CCS technologies are hardly known being, therefore, a source of uncertainty and doubts. All the interested parties will have to provide clear information about CCS and the consequences of the implementation of the technology in Poland, within a broader campaign.

It is essential to undertake all these measures simultaneously and to involve both public administration and the private, non-governmental and scientific sectors in order for CCS to operate in Poland in a relatively near future.