Storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) under the seabed will be allowed from 10 February 2007, under amendments to an international convention governing the dumping of wastes at sea.

      Contracting Parties to the London Protocol adopted amendments on 2 November 2006 to Annex 1 to the 1996 Protocol to the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter, 1972 (London Convention), to regulate the sequestration of CO2 streams from CO2 capture processes in sub-seabed geological formations, during the 1st Meeting of Contracting Parties to the London Protocol, which was held in London. 

      Parties also agreed that guidance informing them on the means by which sub-seabed geological sequestration of carbon dioxide can be conducted, in accordance with Annex 2 to the Protocol, and in a manner that is safe for the marine environment, over the long and short term, should be developed as soon as possible. This will, when finalized, form an important part of the regulation of this activity.  Arrangements have been made to ensure that this guidance will be reviewed for adoption at the 2nd Meeting of Contracting Parties in November 2007.

      This means that a basis has been created in international environmental law to regulate carbon capture and storage (CCS) in sub-seabed geological formations for permanent isolation, as part of a suite of measures to tackle the challenge of climate change and ocean acidification, including, first and foremost, the need to further develop low carbon forms of energy.  In practice this option would apply to large point sources of CO2 emissions, including power plants, steel and cement works.

      The 1996 Protocol, which entered into force on 24 March 2006, takes a precautionary approach and prohibits the dumping of wastes as sea, except for certain substances, which are listed in the Annex I to the Protocol1, to which list “CO2 streams from CO2 capture processes” have now been added.

      The amendments, which will enter into force 100 days after adoption (i.e. on 10 February 2007), state that carbon dioxide streams may only be considered for dumping, if: disposal is into a sub-seabed geological formation; they consist overwhelmingly of carbon dioxide (they may contain incidental associated substances derived from the source material and the capture and sequestration processes used); and no wastes or other matter are added for the purpose of disposing of those wastes or other matter.

      The 1996 Protocol has currently been ratified by 29 countries and replaces the London Convention 1972 for those countries.  The 1972 Convention has been ratified by 81 countries.

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IMO – the International Maritime Organization – is the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships.

Web site: www.imo.org