The permitting procedure for CO2 geological storage for research purposes in a deep saline aquifer in Spain

Abstract Most European Member States that transposed the EU Directive 2009/31/CE on geological storage of carbon dioxide to each national legislation have not yet developed a regulatory framework to govern the permitting process of this industrial activity. This scenario does not help the deployment of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies, as regulators, administrations, operators and general public do not handle a clear compendium of rules and standards to follow. This lack of regulation affects even more to the on-shore sites, which are usually surrounded by communities, industries, farms and other environmental elements that require the compliance of regulations to assure safe and controlled industrial processes. This article describes and analyses the workflow followed for granting the storage permit of Hontomin Technology Development Plant (TDP) in Spain. Hontomin is today the only onshore CO2 injection site in Europe, recognized by the European Parliament as a key test facility for CCS technology development. The authors aim to show the experience gained from this real case as a guideline for regulators, operators and administrations to facilitate the grant of storage permits for supporting the development of industrial scale projects.