Carbon capture and storage

Carbon capture and storage offers significant emissions reductions from hydrocarbon use and the potential for net-negative emissions with biofuels. Carbon capture and storage provide an opportunity to reduce emissions, support energy security, grow the economy and combat climate change.

Nova Scotia’s carbon storage potential is being explored in onshore and offshore basins, involving businesses, university researchers and provincial departments, including the Department of Energy, Department of Natural Resources and Department of Environment and Climate Change.

About carbon capture and storage

Carbon capture and storage reduces emissions from heavy industries (like steel and power generation) by capturing carbon dioxide before it’s released into the air. The process involves:

capture – collecting carbon dioxide from industrial or power sources
transport – compressing and moving carbon dioxide using pipelines, ships or trucks
storage – injecting carbon dioxide into underground rock formations, where it’s safely and securely trapped in gas form, dissolved in water or locked in minerals

The main ways to capture carbon before it’s released include:

pre-combustion – separating carbon dioxide from fuels (like coal or gas) before burning
post-combustion – filtering carbon dioxide from the exhaust gases after fuel is burned
oxy-fuel combustion – burning fuel in pure oxygen instead of air, making it easier to separate carbon dioxide from the exhaust gases

Benefits of carbon capture and storage

Carbon capture and storage offers many benefits to Nova Scotia, including:

emission reduction – cuts emissions from hard-to-decarbonize sectors
economic growth – drives investment, technology development and job creation
energy transition – supports transition to using more clean energy by using existing infrastructure
energy security – enables responsible hydrocarbon use, net-negative bioenergy, carbon offsets and potential revenue from storage capacity offered to energy users in the region

Nova Scotia's carbon capture and storage advantage

Nova Scotia has the resources and expertise to develop the industry, including:

storage potential – the province has promising rock formations for safe and secure carbon storage onshore and offshore (assessment research is ongoing)

infrastructure – the province has existing energy infrastructure (like pipelines, power plants and more) that make carbon capture and storage a realistic option

innovative companies – local companies like CarbonCure are turning captured carbon dioxide into concrete, storing it permanently and creating new opportunities in the green economy

Support and training

Nova Scotia supports the advancement of carbon capture and storage approaches and technologies through:

education – institutions like Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) offer specialized training in carbon management and storage technologies
research – collaboration between industry, government and academic institutions (like Dalhousie University) encourages research and innovation
funding – federal and provincial programs have provided financial incentives to encourage academic research and industry investment
Clean Economy Grants Program – helps master's students research areas of importance to Nova Scotia's energy sector
Clean Economy Scholarship Program – helps students entering college or university with a scholarship to gain the skills for work in the renewable energy sector
Energy Training Program – helps businesses in the energy sector hire post-secondary students and recent graduates

Research for sector development

Work to identify good carbon storage sites is still in early stages. In 2023, the Geological Survey of Canada published the Preliminary assessment of geological carbon-storage potential of Atlantic Canada. Findings included:

storage potential exists – some sedimentary basins and basalt formations in Atlantic Canada are promising storage options for carbon dioxide
more research is needed – the study was preliminary, further surveys are needed to confirm storage capacity, safety and feasibility

Contact

Department of Energy