Australia designates seabed site to store carbon pollution

Associated Press · Victoria Milko · 2026-11-05 02:04 UTC

The Australian government has designated a seabed storage site off its northern coast where a Japanese company plans to store hundreds of millions of tons of carbon dioxide using a technology that has divided climate scientists. While the project still requires several more rounds of approval before construction begins, it’s set to become Australia’s largest carbon capture and storage operation. Proponents say the project will play an important role in reducing emissions from hard-to-abate industries. Critics say it will harm understudied habitats and wildlife while promoting a technology that prolongs the use of heavily polluting fossil fuels.

Australia approves seabed site where a Japanese company will store carbon pollution

Australia has designated a seabed storage site near its northern coast where a Japanese company plans to store massive amounts of carbon pollution using a technology that has divided climate scientists.

Approval of the site to store up to 443 million metric tons (488 million tons) of carbon dioxide has become part of the global debate over carbon capture and storage: Proponents say the project will play an important role in reducing emissions from hard-to-clean-up industries like steel production and shipping. Critics say it will harm critical habitats and endangered wildlife while promoting a technology that prolongs the use of heavily polluting fossil fuels.

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