The Storage of Carbon Dioxide (Licensing etc.) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015

Acceptance and injection of CO₂

1.—(1) In order to be injected into the storage site the CO₂ stream shall consist overwhelmingly of carbon dioxide, and shall in particular satisfy the conditions in sub-paragraph (2).

(2) The CO₂ stream—

(a) shall contain no waste or other matter added for the purposes of disposal;

(b) may contain incidental substances or trace substances (to the extent permitted by any legislation applicable to those substances), but only if the concentration of all such substances are below levels that would—

(i) adversely affect the integrity of the storage site or the relevant transport infrastructure, or

(ii) pose a significant risk to the environment or human health.

(3) In sub-paragraph (2)—

(a) “incidental substance” means a substance which has become associated with the CO₂, either at its original source or as a result of the process of capture or injection; and

(b) “trace substance” means a substance which has been added to the CO₂ in order to assist in the monitoring and verifying of its migration after injection.

(4) Before accepting and injecting the CO₂ stream the operator shall ensure that the conditions in sub-paragraphs (1) and (2) can be met, by carrying out—

(a) an analysis of the composition of the stream, and in particular of any corrosive substances that may be present in it; and

(b) an assessment of the risk that the stream will fail to comply with those conditions.

(5) The operator shall maintain a register, at a place and in a manner approved by the authority, of the quantities and properties of the CO₂ streams that have been delivered to, and injected into, the storage site (including the composition of those streams).