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Goto CO2 FEP Database |
If you would like to update your bookmarks, the full link to the new version of the database is http://www.quintessa.org/co2fepdb/
Of the many methods that have been proposed to reduce the amount of CO2 that is released to the atmosphere, geological storage of CO2 is starting to be tested in many commercial-scale projects worldwide. Widespread deployment of such technology will depend on gaining acceptance for the technology from policy makers and the general public.
Public acceptance of the technology will depend on whether the technology can be demonstrated to be safe and its impact on the environment is limited to an acceptable level. Hence there is a clear requirement for a capability to undertake safety and performance assessments for individual applications of this technology. Such assessments will help to identify the potential impacts to humans and the environment from releases of the stored CO2. Experience gained in other industries can be valuable; exciting tools can be adapted and further developed to be specific to the geological storage of CO2.
Systems analysis has been successfully applied to assessments of the performance and safety of the geological disposal of radioactive wastes and this approach is now being applied to the long-term geological storage of CO2. The use of 'FEPs' to describe the storage concept to be evaluated has proved to be a powerful tool to ensure that assessments incorporate comprehensive consideration of all potentially significant factors. FEPs are the features, events, and processes that are relevant to describe the behaviour of CO2 in the system being assessed.
Quintessa has developed a generic FEP database for the geological storage of CO2, with the chosen FEPs being included for their relevance to the long-term safety and performance of the storage system after injection of CO2 has been completed and the injection boreholes have been sealed. Some FEPs associated with the injection phase are nevertheless considered where these can affect long-term performance (e.g. those FEPs that are necessary to describe the 'initial conditions'). The OECD/Nuclear Energy Agency FEP database for radioactive waste provided the inspiration for this generic CO2 database, although the aims and content of the database have been developed significantly from the original NEA model. The database is being promoted by the IEA in the Risk Assessment capabilities section of their new CO2 Capture and Storage website.The database currently includes around 200 FEPs in a hierarchical structure, with individual FEPs grouped into eight categories. Each FEP has a text description and an associated discussion of its relevance to long-term performance and safety. Key references from the published literature are included to enable retrieval of more detailed information for each FEP. The database incorporates hyperlinks to other relevant sources of information (reports, websites, maps, photographs, videos, etc.), and is searchable in a variety of ways.
The generic FEP database is intended to be the first stage in developing a FEP-based auditing capability for more detailed project-specific FEP databases. At present there are no project specific FEP databases in the system, but the capability is present and it is hoped that some project-specific databases will be added in the near future.
A report describing the database can be downloaded here:
To use the FEP database it is first necessary to register with the database. Registration is free and registration details will not be passed on the third parties or used for marketing. In future, when project-specific databases are added to the system, usernames and passwords may be used to restrict access to commercially sensitive information within the system if necessary.