These Rules, comprising 67 sections, aim to establish a comprehensive legal and regulatory framework for the use of land in Sarawak - both onshore and offshore - for the development, licensing, operation, monitoring, and closure of carbon storage sites, including the handling of greenhouse gases. They apply to (i) anyone developing storage sites for scheduled gases, whether they are petroleum operators or other industrial actors involved in capturing and storing such gases to reduce emissions; (ii) any storage user, including non-residents of Sarawak, who wishes to use a storage site for scheduled gases, regardless of where the gases were captured. Key objectives are (i) regulate the use of land for carbon storage, to specify where carbon storage may occur (e.g., abandoned petroleum sites, deep saline aquifers, coal seams) and ensure only suitable, safe areas are approved; (ii) establish licensing requirements and procedures, ensuring applicants are technically competent, financially sound, and capable of meeting regulatory obligations; (iii) govern the issuance and conditions of storage permits, regulating who may store gases, the documentation required, monitoring responsibilities, and operational standards; (iv) define operational, monitoring, and reporting obligations for licensees and storage operators to monitor sites, prevent leakage or significant irregularities, implement corrective measures, maintain records, and report regularly to authorities; (v) set financial obligations and fees for applications, licences and permits, levies, cess, and other payments, and to establish rules for revision of fees; (vi) address ownership and use of stored gases to establish that scheduled gases stored on State land belong to the Government and regulate when such gases may be removed or used; (vii) regulate carbon credit activities, such as carbon credit certification and the Government’s entitlement to a portion of carbon credit revenue; (viii) establish enforcement powers and penalties; (ix) provide for safe closure and post-closure obligations to ensure proper decommissioning, closure of storage sites, continued monitoring after closure, and financial arrangements to support these obligations.
马来西亚 · 2022-12-21