Southern Cross CCS Hub

Consultation: Southern Cross CCS

– CONSULTATION NOW OPEN –

Project Overview

Australian Carbon Vault (ACV) holds 8 Gas Storage Exploration Licences (GSELs) covering 18,221 km² in the Arckaringa Basin — the Southern Cross CCS project. Two storage formations are targeted: saline sandstone reservoirs (Carbon Vault 1, ~800m) and permeable coal seams (Carbon Vault 2, ~250m). ACV holds an independently assessed 1.6 billion tonne 2U prospective storage resource and 125 million tonne 2C contingent resource booking.

The SEO and EIR have been developed to meet the requirements of the Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Act 2000 (SA) and the Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2009 (SA).

About the Consultation

ACV invites any person or organisation whose functions, interests or activities may be affected to review the SEO and EIR documents and provide feedback. This includes community members, landholders, Indigenous communities, environmental groups, industry representatives, government agencies, and academic or research institutions.

All submissions will be considered before documents are finalised and submitted to the SA Department of Energy and Mining. You may request that your submission not be published by the regulator.

Consultation Timeline

March 2025

SEO/EIR Documents Prepared

Draft SEO and EIR completed and reviewed internally

June – August 2025

Public Consultation Open

Stakeholder feedback period — all submissions welcome

Q3 2025

Feedback Review & Finalisation

ACV reviews all submissions and updates documents accordingly

Q4 2025

Submission to SA DEM

Final SEO and EIR submitted for regulatory assessment

Consultation Documents

The following documents are available for public review during the consultation period. Stakeholders are encouraged to read these before submitting feedback.

Southern Cross CCS – Statement of Environmental Objectives (SEO)

PDF – Draft for consultation

Southern Cross CCS – Environmental Impact Report (EIR)

PDF – Draft for consultation

Project Summary Fact Sheet

PDF – Plain-language overview for community stakeholders

Arckaringa basin Licence & Location Map

PDF – Licence area and project boundary

What is the Southern Cross CCS project?

Southern Cross CCS is ACV’s flagship Arckaringa Basin project — 8 GSELs covering 18,221 km², with two storage formations: saline sandstone (CV1, ~800m) and coal seams (CV2, ~250m). ACV holds an independently assessed 1.6 billion tonne 2U prospective resource and 125 million tonne 2C contingent resource.

Who can participate?

TAny person or organisation whose functions, interests or activities may be affected — including community members, landholders, Indigenous communities, environmental groups, industry, government and researchers.

SWhat happens to my feedback?

All feedback will inform the finalised SEO and EIR submitted to the SA Department of Energy and Mining. You may request your submission not be published by the regulator.

Will operations affect groundwater?

ACV’s storage targets are deep saline formations isolated from shallow freshwater aquifers. The EIR contains detailed risk assessments and monitoring programs to ensure storage integrity and protect groundwater resources.

What is carbon capture and storage (CCS)?

CCS involves capturing CO₂ and permanently storing it underground in geological formations — backed by decades of international research and commercial use. ACV is solely focused on permanent storage with no involvement in enhanced oil recovery.

Open for Submissions

Opens: June 2026

Closes: August 2026

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