Increased Government-industry cooperation essential to meet the G8 CCS technology target

A new report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum (CSLF) and the Global CCS Institute has found that Governments and industry face a challenge to meet the 2008 Hokkaido G8 recommendation to launch 20 large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) demonstration projects by the end of the year. The report is to be presented to the G8 Leaders’ Summit in Muskoka, Canada.

Although Governments have made significant progress towards commercialisation of CCS technologies, including over US$ 26 billion in funding for large-scale demonstration projects, the report suggests that it is vital that more is done quickly to meet the target set two years ago.

Significant progress

The report includes a recent study commissioned by the Global CCS Institute that identifies 80 large-scale integrated CCS projects worldwide at various stages of development. The US, Canada, Australia and the EU, particularly the UK, are all praised for their notable efforts. Nick Otter, CEO of the Global CCS Institute commented: “The growing number of projects under development around the world demonstrates that increased action is being taken”. He continued: “Rapid progress towards operation of those projects is now required if CCS is to be on-track for broad deployment by 2020.”

The significant development has been attributed to the high-level political focus offered by the G8 and other countries, which has seen pilot plants commissioned, continued learning from plants already in operation, the development of legal and regulatory frameworks, increased public outreach activities, and mapping of storage sites.

IEA executive director, Nobuo Tanaka stressed that future collaboration between Governments and industry is vital to fully realise projects currently under development. “The report stresses that continued political leadership is essential at both national and international levels. Reaching the G8 goal of broad deployment of CCS by 2020 is achievable, but will be challenging.”

The organisations responsible for the report stress that approximately 100 CCS projects are required globally (half of these in developing countries) by 2020, according to the IEA CCS Technology Roadmap.

Reaction

The UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) welcomed the report, recognising that CCS technology must be developed quickly if the world is to meet greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets.

The DECC confirmed that the first demonstration competition in the UK will be concluded within the next 12 months, and that the country is acting quickly to launch the selection process for the second, third and fourth projects.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/coal/17062010/increased_government-industry_cooperation_essential_to_meet_the_g8_ccs_technology_target/