May 23, 2006

MIDWEST REGIONAL CARBON SEQUESTRATION PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCES CONTINUING RESEARCH

Columbus, Ohio-

The Midwest Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (MRCSP) is moving into Phase II research to study geological and terrestrial carbon sequestration technologies in the field.

The research is part of a national effort sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory. Carbon sequestration is one part of a strategy aimed at mitigating carbon dioxide emissions and reducing the potential impact of those emissions on climate change. Battelle leads the MRCSP, which is looking at a seven-state region covering Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

In Phase I of the program, the MRCSP identified the sources of carbon dioxide emissions in the region and opportunities for both terrestrial and geologic sequestration. Terrestrial sequestration removes carbon dioxide already in the atmosphere and stores it in plants and soils. Geologic sequestration captures carbon dioxide gas from power plants and other industrial facilities and injects it into carefully chosen geologic formations deep under ground. Researchers found during Phase I that the region has substantial terrestrial and geologic storage resources.

Phase II will involve multiple small-scale geologic and terrestrial field demonstrations in a variety of land and geology types, as well as continued efforts to map and define the region's geology.

Three terrestrial and three geologic demonstration projects are under MRCSP consideration. The terrestrial projects are looking at farmland, reclaimed minelands and tidal wetlands-land types with the best regional opportunities for storing carbon and the added environmental value of improving land management practices. The three geologic projects are looking at operating facilities where the real-world setting allows researchers to test the technology under small-scale, carefully monitored conditions. Detailed studies will determine if these sites are geologically suitable before injection tests begin. The MRCSP is committed to informing the public and seeking public feedback as the projects progress.

Total MRCSP funding for Phase II amounts to $18.1 million, of which $14.3 million is provided by the U.S. Department of Energy and $3.8 million by non-federal partners, including $750,000 from the Ohio Coal Development Office within the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority. This phase will continue for four years, through September 2009.

Battelle is a global leader in science and technology. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, it develops and commercializes technology and manages laboratories for customers. Battelle, with the national labs it manages or co-manages, oversees 20,000 staff members and conducts $3.4 billion in annual research and development. Battelle innovations include the development of the office copier machine (Xerox), pioneering work on compact disc technology, medical technology advancements, and fiber optics technologies.

For more information on Battelle or its role in the MRCSP, visit www.battelle.org or contact Media Relations Manager Mark Berry at (614) 424-5544 or at berrym@battelle.org. For further information about MRCSP activities, visit www.mrcsp.org.