Plan for Australia’s largest carbon capture project near Darwin criticised as creating ‘dumping ground’

Inpex's Bladin Point LNG site in Darwin. Climate advocates worry the company’s proposed Bonaparte carbon capture and storage (CSS) project could be used to justify expansion of fossil fuels Photograph: Supplied

Oil and gas giant Inpex has proposed Australia’s largest carbon capture facility in waters off the Northern Territory, which climate advocates have warned could turn Darwin into a carbon dumping ground.

The Bonaparte carbon capture and storage (CCS) project proposes to pipe and store 8m to 10m tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into an underground aquifer located about 250km offshore west of Darwin, according to documents lodged with the federal environment department.