화석연료소비로 인하여 대기 중의 온실가스농도가 계속해서 증가하고 있는 추세이며, 이에 따른 기상이변, 생물다양성감소와 해수면 상승등 예상치 못한 기후 변동이 계속 발생하고 있다. 본 기술논문에서는 온실가스의 대부분을 차지하는 $CO_2$를 심해양(2,000 m이상)에 친환경적으로 처리하는 기술(심해분사법, 해저저류법, 해저지중처리법)에 대해 비교연구를 수행하였다. 뿐만아니라 $CO_2$ 처리기술의 유효성 평가, $CO_2$ 처리기술의 환경영향 평가기술, $CO_2$ 해양처리에 관한 국제법적, 사회적 수용여부와 국내 연구방향 및 기대효과등에 관하여 논하였다.
The concentration of atmosphere carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) which is one of the major greenhouse gas, continues to rise by the increase in fossil fuel consumption, forest destruction and decrease of biological diversity, etc. In order to weaken the global warming, a reduction of $CO_2$ discharge to the atmosphere is required. The $CO_2$ ocean sequestration technology utilizes the intrinsic oceanic capacity of $CO_2$ absorption, diluting and/or dispersing the liquefied $CO_2$ in the deep ocean (>2,000 m). This geo-engineering approach is regarded as one of the occasions to mitigate the $CO_2$ concentration in the atmosphere. Some developed centuries such as Japan, USA, Norway, etc. have intensively carried out the projects on the research and development of $CO_2$ ocean sequestration since 1990s. There have been several approaches to develop the relative technological system to mitigate the increasing $CO_2$, however, there was no systematic and practical R&D programme in the $CO_2$ ocean sequestration. This paper has described the state of the art on the three optional methods of $CO_2$ sequestration, and compared with them in the aspect of the applicable possibility.
