Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 46: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will comment on a report of the Environmental Protection Agency that carbon emissions from the power station at Moneypoint, County Clare, cannot be captured and stored underground; his views on carbon capture storage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23043/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The report referred to, "An Assessment of the Potential for Geological Storage of CO2 in the Vicinity of Moneypoint, Co. Clare", is the final report of a piece of geological research study, which was commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency, with support from the Geological Survey of Ireland.

The report does not state that "carbon emissions from Moneypoint can not be captured and stored underground". What this report concludes is that the geological characteristics of the rock formations in the West Clare area, where Moneypoint coal-fired power station is located, are unsuitable for storing carbon dioxide.

Should we choose to maintain a coal-fired plant in our power generation mix after 2020, then such a plant would be likely to be either a refurbished Moneypoint or a new build coal station on the existing site. As coal is the fossil fuel which emits most carbon dioxide, prevention of such emissions or dealing with them after they are emitted is a priority action in national and international programmes which address climate change, as well as a likely EU requirement.

The ESB is currently investigating the technological options for dealing with such emissions. One of those options involves filtering the carbon dioxide out of the flue gases after combustion, transporting it by pipeline and storing it in suitable geological structures underground.

Several studies of the potential for carbon dioxide storage in Ireland have indicated that the West Clare Basin, close to Moneypoint, looked promising, and so the research which was the subject of the recent report was undertaken as part of the EPA's Climate Change research programme.

However, there are other possibilities. For example, part of the depleted Kinsale gas field structure may be suitable for this purpose. In the transition to a low or zero carbon energy system, keeping more carbon dioxide from entering the environment is vital. If coal stays in our fuel mix, a facility for carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) will be crucial. That is why I have established an Interdepartmental Committee on CCS to look at all the technical, environmental legal, regulatory and other issues concerned with implementing CCS in Ireland.