The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) has published Stewardship Expectation 1 (Containment Risk Assessment), setting out requirements for CS Licence holders to maintain a robust approach to containment risk assessment and management throughout the lifecycle of carbon storage projects.
The guidance emphasises:
- Integration of risk assessment into the Carbon Storage Development Plan, Monitoring Plan and Corrective Measures Plan.
- Use of qualitative, semi-quantitative and quantitative methods to evaluate containment risks.
- Development of a Risk Assessment Matrix (RAM) tailored to CO₂ storage projects.
- Ongoing risk management during appraisal, operational and post-closure phases, including legacy well considerations and emergency response planning.
The NSTA highlights that operators must demonstrate “no significant risk of leakage or harm to the environment or human health”, as defined in the EU Directive on geological storage of CO₂ and distinguishes this from the ALARP principle.
Ref: nstauthority.co.uk.