Eni seeks licence for carbon storage in British depleted gas field

The logo of Italian energy company Eni is seen at a gas station in Rome, Italy
The logo of Italian energy company Eni is seen at a gas station in Rome, Italy September 30, 2018. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi

LONDON, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Eni UK, part of Italian utility Eni (ENI.MI), said it has submitted an application for a carbon storage licence for a depleted gas field in Britain's North Sea to capture and store carbon dioxide emissions from industry.

Many industries are trying to cap and cut their planet-warming emissions, and say carbon capture and storage (CCS) will help.

CCS transports carbon dioxide from where it is emitted, typically a smokestack, and stores it underground, such as in depleted gas fields, to prevent its release into the atmosphere.

The depleted Hewett gas field in the southern North Sea could store around 330 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2), equivalent to the CO2 emissions of over 3 million homes or over 6 million cars per year, Eni UK said.

The company added that it is involved in an initiative to decarbonise sectors such as automotive, ceramics, materials, energy and waste disposal in Britain's south east and the CCS project would play a role in this.

The depleted gas field could be operational by 2027.

Reporting by Nina Chestney, Editing by Louise Heavens

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