Esso Pulls Plug On Gippsland Carbon Dumping Plans
The Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) has welcomed the withdrawal of the controversial South East Australia Carbon Capture and Storage (SEA CCS) proposal by US oil giant Esso/ExxonMobil, labelling it a win for coastal communities, marine life and climate action.
The proposal, which sought to dump carbon pollution from the Longford gas plant beneath the seafloor of the Gippsland Basin using ageing oil and gas infrastructure, was scrapped before reaching approval under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.
AMCS Fossil Fuel Campaign Manager, Louise Morris said: “This is a significant victory. Gippsland coastal communities have fought hard against this proposal, and for the marine life that would have been impacted by dumping carbon pollution under our oceans.
“Carbon dumping CCS under the ocean using old and rusting rigs has proven to be an unviable and unsafe approach across the globe. Esso/Exxon’s plans would have repurposed outdated oil and gas rigs in the Gippsland Basin to dump carbon pollution from the Longford gas plant in old, disused wells under the seafloor – an approach riddled with risks, including potential leaks into the ocean and atmosphere.
“The failure of this project highlights the global shortcomings of ocean-based CCS, particularly when used by fossil fuel companies to prolong the life of polluting infrastructure and avoid full decommissioning responsibilities.
“Taxpayers should not foot the bill for risky, ineffective carbon dumping schemes. In this coming federal budget, AMCS calls on the Australian Government to end public subsidies for carbon pollution dumping CCS proposals in our ocean, and instead invest in proven, clean climate solutions.
“AMCS is also calling on both the Government and the Opposition to commit to banning all forms of ocean-based carbon pollution dumping, protecting our marine environment and coastal communities from this dangerous and failing technology.”
https://www.marineconservation.org.au/esso-pulls-plug-on-gippsland-carbon-dumping-plans/