CCS demonstration project using the Donghae-1 depleted gas reservoirs

What is Carbon Capture and Storage(CCS)?

CCS is the only proactive means for greenhouse gas reduction. It includes 3 major stages: 1)capture CO₂ from industrial emission sources, 2)transport to the injection site, and 3)inject into safe geologic formations for permanent storage. Many aspects of core technologies in CCS have a lot in common with E&P technologies in the oil and gas industry. Not Surprisingly, global oil and gas companies are leading in the forefront of CCS businesses.

Why do we need CCS?

In accordance with the Paris Agreement (2015, 195 countries) aimed at reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, the Republic of Korea has set an enhanced Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to reduce its total greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 53 to 61 percent from the 2018 level (727.6 million tons) to 385.6 to 443.8 million tons by 2035. To achieve this mitigation target, the government, pursuant to the Framework Act on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth for Coping with the Climate Crisis, has established national carbon neutrality goals and implementation strategies and is comprehensively promoting policies for realizing carbon neutrality by 2050 under the leadership of the National Council on Climate and Air Quality. For this purpose, the government has included R&D projects for building large-scale CCUS integrated demonstration and commercialization infrastructure in the Korean New Deal Comprehensive Plan announced in July 2020 and has presented a phased implementation pathway by formulating the 2050 Carbon Neutrality Scenarios in October 2021. In addition, to foster the CCUS industry and ensure the safe implementation of related projects, the Act on the Capture, Transport, Storage and Utilization of Carbon Dioxide, enacted on 6 February 2024 and entering into force on 7 February 2025, has established a legal and institutional framework covering the entire CCUS value chain, including capture, transport, storage and utilization. As one of the most proactive greenhouse gas reduction technologies, CCS projects implemented by the Corporation are expected to contribute to achieving Korea’s greenhouse gas reduction and carbon neutrality targets.

Where we are now?

The Korean government is advancing its first large-scale Caron Capture Storage (CCS) demonstration project using the depleted Donghae-1 gas field, which ceased production at the end of 2021. KNOC is providing technical support to ensure the project’s successful implementation. Through this CCS demonstration project, Korea aims to develop CCS-related technologies and achieve an annual reduction of 1.2 million tons of CO₂ (1.2 Mtpa) emissions by 2030.

CCS project outline

CCS project outline

Project	CCS decomstration project using Donghae-1 gas field
Size	1.2 Mtpa
Site	Donghae-1 gas reservoirs including offshore production facilities