Australia's Moomba Project Stores 2 Million Tonnes of CO2

Deep beneath South Australia's Cooper Basin, a groundbreaking project just hit a milestone that could change how the world tackles climate change.

Santos's Moomba carbon capture and storage facility has safely locked away 2 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent since launching in late 2023. That's roughly the annual emissions of 430,000 cars, now permanently removed from the atmosphere.

The achievement is even more remarkable considering the obstacles. Two major flooding events hit the region over the past year, yet the facility kept operating and reached its target in just over 18 months.

The project captured about 1 million tonnes during the 2024-25 reporting period alone. According to Australia's Clean Energy Regulator, that represented one-third of all emissions reductions under the country's Safeguard Mechanism, a program that sets pollution limits for major industrial facilities.

The Ripple Effect

Moomba isn't just cleaning up emissions today. It's proving that carbon capture can work at massive scale, giving hope to industries that have struggled to cut pollution.

Santos CEO Kevin Gallagher believes Australia could become a regional carbon storage hub. The country has the right geology, strong regulations, and sits close to major industrial emitters across Asia who need solutions.

The Cooper Basin alone could store up to 20 million tonnes of CO2 annually for half a century. That capacity could help steel mills, cement factories, and other hard-to-decarbonize industries continue operating while the world transitions to cleaner alternatives.

The project has already earned Santos more than 1.19 million Australian Carbon Credit Units, creating economic incentives for emissions reduction. The company met its 2030 emissions target five years early, partly thanks to Moomba's success.

Santos now plans to offer carbon storage services to third-party emitters, potentially creating a commercial industry around permanent CO2 removal. Industries like steel and cement production, which can't easily electrify or switch to renewables, desperately need these solutions.

The technology works by capturing CO2 from natural gas processing, then injecting it deep underground into porous rock formations where it becomes trapped permanently. Australia's ancient, stable geology makes it ideal for this approach.

As countries worldwide search for ways to meet ambitious climate targets, Moomba proves that carbon capture can deliver real results at commercial scale, offering a practical path forward for reducing emissions we can't yet eliminate.