First assessment of sources and sinks for carbon capture and geological storage in Portugal

Abstract

A preliminary study for a source - sink match for application of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) in Portugal is presented. The location of the main CO2 emission sources in Portugal, existing and planned, was analysed and three main source clusters, emitting a total of 26.8 Mt/year, were defined. The area around the deepwater harbour of Sines accounts for about 40% of the total emissions. The three source clusters are connected by a natural gas pipeline network. CO2 storage reservoirs are likely to be restricted to deep saline formations. Potential storage formations are described in the Porto, Lusitanian and Algarve sedimentary basins. Due to the large continental shelf, composed mainly of sedimentary rocks, it is important to consider offshore opportunities. A Geographical Information System (GIS), including information on the stratigraphy, seismicity, neotectonics and geothermal features, was used for prioritising the areas where reservoir identification and characterisation studies should be conducted. Despite not showing the most promising geological conditions, the area around the deepwater harbour of Sines is given the highest priority, since sources in the area account for more than 40% of point source emissions in Portugal.