Decision looms for Glencore’s carbon capture approval in Queensland amid environmental safety debate
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This month, Queensland state in Australia will decide whether to approve Glencore’s request to bury liquefied carbon dioxide in the country’s largest aquifer. Farm groups oppose this plan, warning that it could contaminate water supplies and should be stopped.
Governments argue that carbon capture and storage (CCS) is essential for achieving global net-zero goals and limiting global warming. Although CCS implementation has been gradual, it is now accelerating.
“This is an important test case for onshore CCS in Australia,” said Glencore spokesperson Francis De Rosa.
Swiss commodities giant Glencore is proposing a three-year pilot project in Australia with a budget of A$210 million ($135 million).
The project aims to capture and store 330,000 metric tons of CO2 from a coal-fired power plant in the northeastern state by injecting it into an aquifer located 2.3 km (1.4 miles) underground.
“Our project is based on very robust data, fieldwork and analysis,” De Rosa said, adding that several government agencies had reviewed the plan.
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Farm groups are concerned that Glencore’s project could contaminate the Great Artesian Basin, which is a crucial groundwater source for agriculture and communities in eastern Australia.
They fear that the acidic nature of the CO2 stored in the rock could release toxic substances such as lead and arsenic, posing a serious risk to water quality and public health.
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