CCS Inches Forward in California and South Africa

Legislation to set up a comprehensive CCS regulatory framework has advanced through the California State Senate Committee on Environmental Quality.  The bill, SB 1139, is necessary to go forward with construction of the Hydrogen Energy California Project, led by SCS Energy, which would use CCS for EOR as part of a larger 288-MW coal and petroleum coke gasification plant.  Several legislative hurdles remain for the CCS bill.

Elsewhere, South Africa's national Cabinet has formally approved a Carbon Capture and Storage Roadmap as part of a broader package of mitigation commitments.  These commitments oblige the government to reduce CO2 emissions 34% below "business as usual" levels by 2020, and 45% below BAU by 2025, on condition that sufficient technical and financial support is provided.  A test injection is expected to follow adoption of the roadmap.