Authors: Hui-Tsen Hsiao, Assistant Researcher of Risk Society and Policy Research Center, National Taiwan University and Chien-Ming Hsu, Postdoctoral Researcher of Risk Society and Policy Research Center, National Taiwan University

In 2023, CPC Corporation（中油）, Taiwan (hereinafter referred to as CPC) planned to initiate a carbon storage experiment in the Tieh–Chen Mountain（鐵砧山）area of Tunghsiao（通宵）Township, Miaoli County. The experiment represents an important step of Taiwan to realize carbon storage. This article was to explain why CPC selected this site for the carbon storage test, and how CPC plans to address social communication around carbon storage.

I. Taiwan's Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Goals and Geological Potential

In Taiwan's 2050 net zero pathway, the estimated carbon reduction target for carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) is 4.6 million tons per year by 2030 and 40.2 million tons per year by 2050, optimistically.

In the 2022 Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program（前瞻基礎建設計畫）, the Ministry of Economic Affairs proposed the Carbon Capture and Storage Test Project（二氧化碳捕捉及封存試驗計畫）, which includes Taipower's CCS project at the Taichung Power Plant, and CPC's Tieh–Chen Mountain Carbon Capture and Storage Cross-Ministerial Test Project（鐵砧山碳捕存跨部會試驗計畫）in Tunghsiao Township, Miaoli County（經濟部，2022）.

The underground injection facility in Tieh–Chen Mountain project in Miaoli County is expected to store 300,000 tons of CO₂ in three years（台灣中油股份有限公司，2023a）

 

Fig. 1 Potential Carbon Storage area in Taiwan
Green: Potential carbon storage areas in plains and near-shore regions
Pink: Potential carbon storage areas in coastal regions (within 10 km offshore)
Yellow: Potential carbon storage areas in onshore regions (primarily old oil and gas fields)
Source : （李奇峰，2023）

 

The estimated carbon storage potential of Taiwan is 13.8 billion tons in onshore plains, 16.8 billion tons within 0–25 km from the coastline, and 15.3 billion tons within 25–50 km from the coastline（林殿順等，2014）. Considering the cost and human activities, it is more feasible to develop carbon storage sites on sea area within 25 km from west coastline of Taiwan. Currently, CPC also plans for carbon storage in the coastal areas of western Taiwan, with an expected annual storage capacity of one million tons.

 

II. Restarting Carbon Storage

1. CPC's long-term relationship with the carbon storage test sites-- Tieh–Chen Mountain area

CPC has a long-term relationship with residents in Tieh–Chen Mountain area. In the 1960s, CPC explored oil and gas around the area. However, after oil and gas resources gradually depleted, the underground space used for oil and gas storage was gradually converted into storage reservoirs for imported natural gas from Indonesia and Malaysia in the late 1980s. The reservoirs provide natural gas for power plants in Datan（大潭）, Tunghsiao, and Hsintao（新桃）（國家文化記憶庫，2023）.

 

Fig. 2 map of Datan, Hsintao, Tunghsiao power plant, Yongan LNG Terminal and CPC's refinery in Taoyuan County.

 

The carbon storage test site of CPC is in Meinan Village—which is also included in the Tieh–Chen Mountain area. The Meinan community has “strong ties” with Taipower and CPC. Three high-voltage towers and some natural gas production wells are intensively crowded in the small village（陳文敏，2018）. The Chief of the village promised his voters to “strive for feedback (money or infrastructure) from Taipower and CPC（爭取台電、中油地方回饋）（通霄鎮公所，2023）.”

In 1997, CPC proposed the A8601 LNG Receiving Station Phase III Project, which had a significant project scope. The A8601 Project, which ran from 1996 to 2002（余慶良，2003）, included the expansion of the Yongan LNG Terminal（永安液化天然氣接收站） in Kaohsiung, construction of a sub-sea natural gas pipeline from the Yongan LNG Terminal in Kaohsiung to Tunghsiao Township, Miaoli County, and the construction of the onshore natural gas pipeline. A Natural Gas Injection/Production Station and other gas storage reservoirs was added in Meinan Village.

 

 

Fig. 3 CPC Tieh–Chen Mountain Carbon Dioxide Storage Site
(Remake by the authors)
The original source：（台灣中油股份有限公司，2023b）

 

2. Why select Tieh–Chen Mountain as the carbon storage test site?

CCS site in Tomakomai, Hokkaido, Japan, may be the most ideal scenario for carbon storage. It involves constructing a complete system from the refinery (carbon source) to the injection site, including facilities to capture, separate, and transport carbon dioxide directly for injection into the ground. Completion of the 300,000 tons of carbon dioxide storage test at the Tomakomai site is not only reducing actual carbon emission but also allowing the estimation of the cost of commercial CCS implementation（朱皓菱，2020）.

Compared to Tomakomai, the Tieh–Chen Mountain site does not constitute a comprehensive system for CCS but an experimental setup. In Tieh–Chen Mountain test, CPC only focuses on carbon storage, far away from CO₂ emission sources and therefore needs additional efforts to collect CO₂ for storage test. That's way the Tieh–Chen Mountain test arose some suspicion among public.

The potential carbon storage sites in Taiwan are mainly in coastal and offshore areas (Fig. 1). In addition, major CO₂ emission sources of CPC, such as the Linyuan Petrochemical Plant in Kaohsiung and the Refinery in Taoyuan (Fig. 2), are also in the coastal area. However, CPC did not choose a test site near the coastal line but a place on the remote inland Tieh–Chen Mountain area. It is because while Tieh–Chen Mountain area is far away from main CO₂ emission sources and the storage potential may be relatively small, CPC has a long-term experience in oil and gas production in the region, and therefore, has a better understanding of the geological conditions. Additionally, CPC will get CO₂ for test by negotiating with nearby plants (such as the Tunghsiao Power Plant and nearby petrochemical parks).

By selecting this area as the site for the carbon storage test, CPC hopes it would be helpful for finishing the test and to provide empirical data as soon as possible. The result of the test could serve as a reference for future development of carbon storage and related regulatory frameworks.

 

3. Public Communication: Concerns regarding Carbon Storage in the Tieh–Chen Mountain Area

On July 25, 2023, after news spread that CPC's carbon storage test project had received conditional approval from the environmental impact assessment, there were some complaint quickly show up in the media.

On July 26, several reports resurfaced the case of a massive casualty caused by carbon dioxide leakage in Lake Nyos, West Africa（曾智怡，2023；陳瑩欣，2023；王玉樹，2023）. Media houses, such as the China Times and the Liberty Times, began reporting local discontent（李京昇，2023；張勳騰，2023）, and in August, the United Daily News mentioned, “Recently, due to the lack of awareness among local residents, many have expressed their dissatisfaction and concern through Facebook communities, calling on CPC to come forward and explain.^[1] （吳傑沐、范榮達，2023） ” In August, 2023, we visited CPC to gain a better understanding of CPC's experience in communicating with local residents.

CPC states that it has devoted considerable funds to community in the Tieh-Chen Mountain area. Further details can be found in the Environmental Impact Assessment Report for the Tieh–Chen Mountain Natural Gas Injection/Production Well Development Project^[2] proposed by CPC in 2002. The report includes detail of funds (over NT$ 40 million) allocated by CPC in Tunghsiao Township in 2000 and 2001 for various philanthropic activities and construction projects such as road repairs, drainage improvements, temple reconstruction, summer camps, environmental volunteer equipment, weed removal, elderly empowerment activities, emergency relief funds…etc.（台灣中油股份有限公司，2002）.

However, in the carbon storage test project, CPC seems to have realized that communication with the public requires not only those philanthropic activities and construction projects but also broader social communication.

CPC also identified stakeholders of CCS: "The CCS test involves multiple stakeholders, including (residents around) the local test site, monitoring areas, and potential transportation routes. Providing stakeholders with explanation materials and increasing public acceptance through a well-planned test project that demonstrates the feasibility and safety of geological storage is necessary^[3] （經濟部，2022）." CPC had already initiated preliminary social communication activities, focusing primarily on interviewing and negotiating with residents in the Tieh–Chen Mountain area. CPC stated that the main concern of the residents is the safety issues arising from carbon dioxide injection, and they also hope that CPC can provide more substantial feedback and stimulate the local economy.

In response to the doubts raised in the media, CPC mentioned that the Tieh–Chen Mountain Carbon Storage Project has been disclosed in newspapers and media as early as 2022, but maybe the information is too rough to offer the local government clear understanding toward the project. CPC has explained to the Mayor of Miaoli County, and has indicated that before the actual carbon dioxide injection at Tieh–Chen Mountain taking place, CPC will have full communication with residents. CPC is planning to communicate and explain to residents and council members soon, and there will also be larger-scale briefings, seminars, and public education for CCS test introduction. In the future, CPC may also set up display areas near the injection site or monitoring wells to show the construction process and environmental monitoring data.

 

III. Summary

In 2013, after facing protests against the carbon storage test in Yonghe Mountain（永和山）, CPC stopped its carbon storage projects. Nearly a decade later, CPC has resumed the carbon storage initiative, but the communication issues that arose with the public in the past persist. The pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is now greater than it was a decade ago. CCUS has been included in the National Development Council's（國發會）net-zero path and strategy, becoming a long-term method for reducing carbon emissions in gas-fired power generation.

The main purpose of the government's carbon storage test project is to verify the feasibility and safety of carbon storage technology in Taiwan, and to serve as a reference for government departments to promote policies and regulations. The Tieh–Chen Mountain area was selected as the test site due to its excellent geological conditions, proximity to some CO₂ sources, CPC's experience in operating natural gas storage reservoirs, and its good safety record.

Carbon storage involves many government agencies, including the National Science and Technology Council（國科會）, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Environment, Energy and Carbon Reduction Office of the Executive Yuan（行政院能源及減碳辦公室）, and state-owned enterprises, such as Taipower and CPC. So, which organization will be responsible for communicating with the public? Is it the National Development Council, which proposed the 12 key strategies for net-zero emission? The National Science and Technology Council, which is responsible for technology development? The Ministry of Economic Affairs, which promotes demonstration sites and industrial linkages? The Environmental Protection Administration responsible for regulations? Or does it eventually the business of the CCS on site engineers?

 

 

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