No decision yet on Barendrecht gas storage

Thursday 12 November 2009

Economic affairs minister Maria van der Hoeven has not yet finalised plans to store excess greenhouse gases underground in an empty natural chamber under a housing estate near Rotterdam, news agency ANP reports.

The final decision should have been taken on Thursday. But it will now take place 'as soon as possible', Van der Hoeven told ANP.

Van der Hoeven and environment minister Jacqueline Cramer both have to decide whether to give the project the green light.

Barendrecht town council is opposed to the plan and now it appears Zuid Holland provincial council is also against it, the Financieele Dagblad reports on Thursday.

Barendrecht council argues the risks to locals are unclear and house prices may collapse. The potential storage site lies under a residential area of 7,600 homes.

The government sees underground storage as a good way of coping with excess CO2 and has set aside millions of euros to fund experiments. The Barendrecht area has been earmarked for storing CO2 from Shell's Pernis refinery. Other potential sites are also under investigation.

© DutchNews.nl

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