Beach Energy has commissioned and ramped up operations at the Moomba Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project, one of the world’s largest initiatives of its kind.

Located adjacent to the Moomba Gas Plant in South Australia’s Cooper Basin, the project has begun injecting carbon dioxide (CO2) into depleted underground reservoirs.

The Moomba CCS project comprises a four-stage compressor, five injection wells, CO2 dehydration facilities, and CO2 pipelines.

The project is designed to capture and store approximately 1.7 million tonnes of CO2 annually.

Following its first CO2 injection on September 30, 2024, daily injection rates have already reached full capacity, surpassing expectations for the commissioning phase.

Brett Woods, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Beach Energy, highlighted the project’s significance in Australia’s emissions reduction efforts.

At full operational capacity, the Moomba CCS will safely store all vented reservoir CO2 from the Moomba Gas Plant, and abate approximately one-third of Beach’s current equity emissions.

The launch of the Moomba CCS project underscores the critical role of natural gas and carbon capture technologies in the global energy transition.

Woods emphasised that the International Energy Agency considers CCS essential for achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

Beach Energy’s investment in the Moomba CCS project aligns with its environmental goals.

The company is now on track to achieve its targeted net Scope 1 and 2 emissions intensity reduction of 35 per cent by 2030.

The Moomba CCS project represents a significant step forward in Australia’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions and demonstrates the viability of large-scale carbon capture and storage technologies in the country’s energy sector.