Australia Plans Ocean Floor Carbon Storage

Australia has announced plans to store greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power stations in the ocean floor, with exploration possibly starting this year.

Energy Minister Martin Ferguson says the government hopes to make amendments to the Offshore Petroleum Act to benefit from the country's "significant geological storage potential".

But the Australian Greens party has criticised the idea, saying it creates the potential for leakage.

In late 2007, Australia's newly elected Labor Government ratified the Kyoto Protocol, reversing an 11-year policy by the previous conservative government.

By staff writer