Wedoany.com Report-Feb 5, The Moomba Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project in the Cooper Basin has officially opened, becoming Australia’s first large-scale onshore CCS initiative.
The South Australian project first started up in October 2024 and has already sequestered 340,000t of CO2-equivalent.
At full ramp up – which has already been reached within weeks of first injection – Moomba CCS can store up to 1.7Mt of carbon dioxide each year.
That’s equivalent to taking 700,000 cars off the road – or approximately ten per cent of South Australia’s total annual emissions in 2022.
The Moomba CCS project is a joint venture between Santos and Beach Energy.
The South Australian Government said it has the potential to demonstrate how Australia can assist other nations in their efforts to decarbonise industry, and as it grows over subsequent phases of development, the project has potential to provide carbon storage for companies across Australia and the Asian region.
South Australian Premier, Peter Malinauskas, said the opening marks an historic day for the state, which has a proud record in leading the world in the efforts to decarbonise.
“Gas plays an important part in that effort, in supporting South Australia’s world leading investment in renewable energy.
“And now, through great South Australian companies in Santos and Beach Energy, the gas fields at Moomba have the potential to become a storage site for carbon generated by industries across Australia and throughout the Asian region.”
Mr Malinauskas said the State Government is thoroughly committed to improving the living standards and prosperity of South Australians by leveraging its already world-leading position on decarbonisation.
“This project is a fine example of how we can do just that.”
Santos CEO and Managing Director, Kevin Gallagher, said, “We have made history out at Moomba.
“It’s a first for Santos, it’s a first for South Australia and a first for Australia in terms of large-scale, onshore CCS.”
Mr Gallagher said the project is delivering immediate and real large-scale emissions reduction for the company and for Australia, at a very competitive cost of under $49 per tonne.
“At full injection rates, Moomba CCS avoids more CO2 in four days than 10,000 electric vehicles save in one year.
“And in just one year, Moomba CCS will achieve around 28 per cent of the total emissions reduction achieved by Australia’s entire electricity sector in 2023.”
Mr Gallagher said the scale CCS offers is a gamechanger for decarbonisation in Australia and the region.
Beach Energy CEO and Managing Director, Brett Woods, said completion of the Moomba CCS project is a landmark moment in Australia’s emissions reduction capacity and is making a material impact to Beach’s emissions.
“CCS is a critical enabler for low emissions energy supply and puts Beach on track to achieve our 2030 emissions intensity reduction target of 35 per cent.
“At Beach, we’re proud to be partnering with Santos on real projects that are delivering real emissions abatement, in the South Australian outback.”
Mr Woods said at capacity, the emissions reduction delivered by Moomba CCS is equivalent to taking 700,000 petrol cars off the roads each year.
“And that could be just the beginning. We already have many more millions of tonnes of CO2 storage capacity available for potential expansion cases.
“The consensus is that natural gas will play a key role in the energy transition for decades to come, and the International Energy Agency said it will be virtually impossible to reach net zero by 2050 without carbon capture utilisation and storage.
“Therefore, Moomba CCS delivers South Australia and Australia a significant opportunity.”
