BHP Billiton and SaskPower helping CCS developments

BHP Billiton and SaskPower are partnering together to increase the global development of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. The two will share access to the data, information and lessons learned from SaskPower’s Boundary Dam facility – the world’s first full chain power sector CCS project.

The companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which will enable BHP Billiton to contribute to the establishment of a global knowledge centre in order to promote research and reduce the cost and risk connected to new CCS projects.

Premier of Saskatchewan, Brad Wall, welcomed the partnership: “We’re very happy to have BHP Billiton and SaskPower seek to partner on next steps and make CCS more accessible to the world. With private enterprises like BHP Billiton investing in low-emissions technology, we are turning the tide today in Saskatchewan, and tomorrow around the world.”

BHP Billiton Chief Commercial Officer, Dean Dalla Valle, commented: “To respond effectively to climate change, we must develop and deploy a wide range of low-emissions technologies more quickly than the usual commercial timeframes. But progress remains too slow.”

Dalla Valle continued: “The individual components of CCS (capture, transport and storage) have been successfully demonstrated for many years but Boundary Dam is the first power project to bring all these together. Much more investment and many more projects are needed to bring down the cost of technology and accelerate its deployment. By making relevant information from Boundary Dam more widely available, we hope our contribution has a multiplier effect and promotes CCS investment around the world … We continue to assess other investments to support the development of CCS and other low emissions technology as part of our commitment to take action on climate change.”

SaskPower President and CEO Mike Marsh said: “SaskPower’s CCS journey began more than a decade ago, and today we’re proud to develop this exciting opportunity with BHP Billiton ... The intention of this partnership is to allow the CCS expertise and knowledge being developed in Saskatchewan to be shared worldwide and what better way to do that than with a major global business leader.”

Giles Hellyer, President BHP Billiton Canada Inc, said he was proud that BHP Billiton was seeking to partner with a local Saskatchewan organisation to achieve excellent work that is in accordance the company’s climate change position.

He stated: “As the home of our Jansen Potash project, we have a strong connection with and commitment to Saskatchewan and it’s great to see some of the innovative work being done in the region recognised globally as part of such an important effort to reduce the world’s emissions.”

While there is a lot to develop in CCS, BHP Billiton is confident in current results and is looking forward to being a part of future developments.

Edited from press release by Harleigh Hobbs

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/exploration-and-development/11092015/bhp-billiton-and-saskpower-helping-ccs-developments-2844/