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

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day, reviewed by our editorial team. Read the full piece on Associated Press or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Australia has designated an offshore seabed site where Japanese energy company Inpex plans to store up to 443 million metric tons of CO₂ over 35 years
• Located 260 kilometres offshore from Darwin in the Timor Sea, the project marks another step in the expansion of carbon capture and storage (CCS), a technology increasingly central to industrial decarbonization debates

🔭 The context: The project would inject captured CO₂ into the West Peron deep saline aquifer, with the nearby Ichthys liquefied natural gas facility expected to be its primary customer
• Inpex is required to complete environmental assessments and secure additional government approvals before injection begins
• While the International Energy Agency recognizes CCS as a climate mitigation tool, its net-zero scenario assigns it less than 5% of emissions reductions by 2050

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: CCS could help reduce emissions in difficult-to-decarbonize sectors such as steel, cement and shipping
• However, environmental groups warn that dredging, drilling, underwater noise, chemical discharges and increased marine traffic could threaten dugongs, turtles, seabirds and whales
• Critics also argue CCS risks prolonging fossil fuel dependence rather than accelerating phase-outs

⏭️ What’s next: Inpex will continue environmental assessments and pursue regulatory approvals before making a final investment decision and commencing CO₂ injection
• The project could eventually accommodate emissions from additional companies, while Australia and Japan continue positioning CCS as part of their climate strategies

💬 One quote: : “We see it as a greenwashing tactic that fossil fuel companies are using to green light continued pollution instead of doing the obvious choice of ramping down production and phasing out fossil fuels.” - Australian Marine Conservation Society campaigner Chelsea Deng

📈 One stat: 443 million metric tons of CO₂ — the maximum storage capacity of the proposed Australian offshore site over 35 years, according to Inpex

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