Innovative energy project set to use cosmic rays for monitoring

A research consortium led by Durham University has won government and industry funding to develop a novel technique using cosmic rays for monitoring storage sites for carbon dioxide (CO₂). Geoscientists, particle physicists and engineers will work together to examine the potential of using muons -sub-atomic particles from cosmic rayswhich cascade from the upper atmosphere and go on to penetrate rock several kilometres underground. The detection of cosmic ray muons can be used to map the density profile of the material above the detectors and hence measure on-going levels of CO₂ in any potential carbon store. The team comprises Durham University, University of Sheffield, Bath University, Newcastle University, the STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Caltech supported by Premier Oil & Gas and Cleveland Potash Limited. The Department of Energy & Climate Change is providing £647,000 for the monitoring project alongside matched funding from industry. Carbon storage could play a major part of UK and global environmental policies to tackle global warming but still allow us to generate clean, affordable energy. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) refers to the process of capturing waste carbon dioxide (CO₂) from major sources of emission, such as fossil fuel power stations, to prevent it entering the atmosphere.