Page 47 - European Energy Innovation - Winter 2014
P. 47
Winter 2014 European Energy Innovation 47
CARBON CAPTURE & STORAGE
Supply:
innovative policy
ensure that projects are built. PCIs electricity storage in the energy The European Council’s recently
could however help unlock much market will be economic, as it adopted position on the 2030
needed investment for innovative should be, but if renewables can Climate and Energy framework
projects that combine both be produced, stored and then re- will provide the technology
transmission and interconnection introduced during peak demand neutral approach we have been
and will help add incentives for then storage should eventually be calling for and expansion of the
cross-border trading. able to both compete with and NER300 facility to 400million ETS
compliment other forms of back- allowances (NER400) will, in the
Storing energy still remains one up power such as gas. medium term, provide a boost
of the greatest challenges facing for CCS and other innovative low
both policy makers and industry, It is still crucially important carbon technologies.
the emergence of intermittent that research and innovation
and non-programmable investment should not focus Moving forward we need to be
renewable sources has made solely on renewables - it’s worth able to move quicker. Much
the problem even more acute. remembering that shale gas wasn’t is made of the permitting and
Given the difficulty of varying the even a viable option ten years ago. regulatory barriers involved
output of these sources, rises in with energy projects and this is
demand cannot necessarily be Emissions from gas power amplified when operating with
met with increased generation plants can reduce CO2 by up to different regimes across borders.
from renewables. Gas will play 80% compared to an old coal This problem is clearly even worse
an increasing role in the mix by fired power plant. The future for innovative projects where
providing reliable and flexible commercialisation of Carbon perhaps the economic arguments
back-up power. Capture and Storage (CCS) will are not as strong as those of
further decarbonise the gas- established technologies.
Storage technology is therefore powered generation – indeed it’s
essential to bridge the gap almost impossible to imagine a There does now appear to be
between the ramping down time low-carbon transition without gas strong momentum in Brussels
of renewables and the ramping and CCS. behind the Better Regulation
up of the back-up capacity. The agenda and we hope this will see
EU’s research and innovation My political group in the barriers removed in the energy
program, Horizon 2020, will be European Parliament, the sector – and coupled with events
supporting further development European Conservatives and in Russia and Ukraine there is a
in this area. With a renewed focus Reformists, would argue that one renewed sense of urgency. These
on innovation – too often Europe of the biggest failings of the EU’s factors and a level playing field
leads on research but falls behind climate and energy strategy for for low-carbon technologies in
on innovation – we hope the 2020 has been stalling political the 2030 Climate and Energy
funding will not only see research and financial support to CCS Strategy, courtesy of the single
into new types of storage but also deployment. In Europe we 40% emissions reduction target,
advance the wider development must recognise that renewables should provide both an impetus
and application of many known alone are not going to solve our and opportunity for new energy
technologies. energy or emissions goals and a technology that looks beyond
fresh impetus behind CCS in the generation to transmission,
The main driver of increased energy system is urgently needed. interconnection and storage. l
www.europeanenergyinnovation.eu
CARBON CAPTURE & STORAGE
Supply:
innovative policy
ensure that projects are built. PCIs electricity storage in the energy The European Council’s recently
could however help unlock much market will be economic, as it adopted position on the 2030
needed investment for innovative should be, but if renewables can Climate and Energy framework
projects that combine both be produced, stored and then re- will provide the technology
transmission and interconnection introduced during peak demand neutral approach we have been
and will help add incentives for then storage should eventually be calling for and expansion of the
cross-border trading. able to both compete with and NER300 facility to 400million ETS
compliment other forms of back- allowances (NER400) will, in the
Storing energy still remains one up power such as gas. medium term, provide a boost
of the greatest challenges facing for CCS and other innovative low
both policy makers and industry, It is still crucially important carbon technologies.
the emergence of intermittent that research and innovation
and non-programmable investment should not focus Moving forward we need to be
renewable sources has made solely on renewables - it’s worth able to move quicker. Much
the problem even more acute. remembering that shale gas wasn’t is made of the permitting and
Given the difficulty of varying the even a viable option ten years ago. regulatory barriers involved
output of these sources, rises in with energy projects and this is
demand cannot necessarily be Emissions from gas power amplified when operating with
met with increased generation plants can reduce CO2 by up to different regimes across borders.
from renewables. Gas will play 80% compared to an old coal This problem is clearly even worse
an increasing role in the mix by fired power plant. The future for innovative projects where
providing reliable and flexible commercialisation of Carbon perhaps the economic arguments
back-up power. Capture and Storage (CCS) will are not as strong as those of
further decarbonise the gas- established technologies.
Storage technology is therefore powered generation – indeed it’s
essential to bridge the gap almost impossible to imagine a There does now appear to be
between the ramping down time low-carbon transition without gas strong momentum in Brussels
of renewables and the ramping and CCS. behind the Better Regulation
up of the back-up capacity. The agenda and we hope this will see
EU’s research and innovation My political group in the barriers removed in the energy
program, Horizon 2020, will be European Parliament, the sector – and coupled with events
supporting further development European Conservatives and in Russia and Ukraine there is a
in this area. With a renewed focus Reformists, would argue that one renewed sense of urgency. These
on innovation – too often Europe of the biggest failings of the EU’s factors and a level playing field
leads on research but falls behind climate and energy strategy for for low-carbon technologies in
on innovation – we hope the 2020 has been stalling political the 2030 Climate and Energy
funding will not only see research and financial support to CCS Strategy, courtesy of the single
into new types of storage but also deployment. In Europe we 40% emissions reduction target,
advance the wider development must recognise that renewables should provide both an impetus
and application of many known alone are not going to solve our and opportunity for new energy
technologies. energy or emissions goals and a technology that looks beyond
fresh impetus behind CCS in the generation to transmission,
The main driver of increased energy system is urgently needed. interconnection and storage. l
www.europeanenergyinnovation.eu
