Page 49 - European Energy Innovation - Winter 2014
P. 49
Winter 2014 European Energy Innovation 49
CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE
Carbon Capture and Storage:
a promising outlook in Europe
By Luke Warren, CEO, Carbon Capture and Storage Association
2015 presents a critical The recent escalation of political aging coal fired power station
juncture for Carbon tensions with Russia have bought unit in Saskatchewan into a
Capture and Storage to the fore the need for energy producer of low-carbon, base-
(CCS) in Europe. security in ensuring a prosperous load electricity. Significantly,
The prize is a great one - with and competitive European Boundary Dam promises to
combined effort from European economy. With coal and lignite capture 1 million tonnes of CO2
North Sea states, CCS is capable make up more than 80% of known per year – the equivalent of taking
of permanently locking hundreds fossil fuel reserves in Europe – more than 250,000 cars off the
of years’ worth of Europe’s carbon CCS is increasingly being seen as road annually.
dioxide emissions underground. a mechanism to reduce Europe’s
But decisions taken now by reliance on imported fuels and Boundary Dam goes beyond a
policy makers in developing the harness indigenous energy single pilot – in Europe, it’s a call
right supportive framework, will supplies. to action. It not only shows us that
determine whether Europe will the technology is there; but that
benefit from this technology or The spotlight on industrial the economics can stack up and
if we shut the door on CCS as a emissions has also worked to set working regulatory frameworks
climate change mitigation option CCS at centre stage: CCS remains can be put in place. Experience
altogether. Fortunately, there are the only viable technology for gained from large demonstration
a number of developments taking reducing emissions from many projects will be essential, both to
place that signal a re-boot of energy intensive industries perfecting technical solutions and
Europe’s policy on CCS. (ranging from iron and steel to driving down costs. Across the
chemicals, cement and refineries) world, CCS moves forward – the
THE CCS PROMISE and ensuring they remain next two large-scale CCS projects
Investing in renewables, smarter competitive. By 2050, industrial in the power sector are planned to
infrastructure and storage are CCS offers to reduce CO2 come online in the US: Southern
all going to be necessary to halt emissions by 0.4Gt across Europe. Company’s Kemper County
the most devastating effects of Energy Facility in Mississippi, and
climate change. But this will not TECHNOLOGY MILESTONES the Petra Nova Carbon Capture
be enough – what is required is a As of February 2014, there Project in Texas. Outside of the
large scale and rapid deployment were 22 large-scale projects in Americas, the Abu Dhabi CCS
of CCS. operation or construction – a 50% Project in the UAE will be the
increase since 2011. These have world’s first large-scale CCS
Including CCS in Europe’s future the capacity to capture up to 40 project in the iron and steel sector.
decarbonised energy portfolio million tonnes of CO2 per annum,
is the least cost pathway to equivalent to 8 million cars being MOVEMENT IN EUROPE
decarbonisation. The latest taken off the road every year. After a series of false starts, things
evidence from the International finally look they may are coming
Energy Agency shows that The beginning of October together for CCS in Europe. The
without CCS, the cost of meeting saw the global premiere of Sleipner project has captured
a 50% global CO2 reduction SaskPower’s unveiling of the nearly 1 million tonnes of CO2
target by 2050 would increase Boundary Dam Project in Canada: a year since 1996 from gas
by 40%. More recently, the IPCC the first commercial-scale project production by injecting it into
Synthesis Report concluded that in the world combining post- deep saline formations under the
without CCS, the cost of hitting combustion CCS with coal-fired North Sea. CCS technology also
our 2C target to limit global power generation. The project operates on a Liquified Natural
warming would increase by 138%. saw the transformation of an Gas plant in Snøhvit, storing up to
www.europeanenergyinnovation.eu
CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE
Carbon Capture and Storage:
a promising outlook in Europe
By Luke Warren, CEO, Carbon Capture and Storage Association
2015 presents a critical The recent escalation of political aging coal fired power station
juncture for Carbon tensions with Russia have bought unit in Saskatchewan into a
Capture and Storage to the fore the need for energy producer of low-carbon, base-
(CCS) in Europe. security in ensuring a prosperous load electricity. Significantly,
The prize is a great one - with and competitive European Boundary Dam promises to
combined effort from European economy. With coal and lignite capture 1 million tonnes of CO2
North Sea states, CCS is capable make up more than 80% of known per year – the equivalent of taking
of permanently locking hundreds fossil fuel reserves in Europe – more than 250,000 cars off the
of years’ worth of Europe’s carbon CCS is increasingly being seen as road annually.
dioxide emissions underground. a mechanism to reduce Europe’s
But decisions taken now by reliance on imported fuels and Boundary Dam goes beyond a
policy makers in developing the harness indigenous energy single pilot – in Europe, it’s a call
right supportive framework, will supplies. to action. It not only shows us that
determine whether Europe will the technology is there; but that
benefit from this technology or The spotlight on industrial the economics can stack up and
if we shut the door on CCS as a emissions has also worked to set working regulatory frameworks
climate change mitigation option CCS at centre stage: CCS remains can be put in place. Experience
altogether. Fortunately, there are the only viable technology for gained from large demonstration
a number of developments taking reducing emissions from many projects will be essential, both to
place that signal a re-boot of energy intensive industries perfecting technical solutions and
Europe’s policy on CCS. (ranging from iron and steel to driving down costs. Across the
chemicals, cement and refineries) world, CCS moves forward – the
THE CCS PROMISE and ensuring they remain next two large-scale CCS projects
Investing in renewables, smarter competitive. By 2050, industrial in the power sector are planned to
infrastructure and storage are CCS offers to reduce CO2 come online in the US: Southern
all going to be necessary to halt emissions by 0.4Gt across Europe. Company’s Kemper County
the most devastating effects of Energy Facility in Mississippi, and
climate change. But this will not TECHNOLOGY MILESTONES the Petra Nova Carbon Capture
be enough – what is required is a As of February 2014, there Project in Texas. Outside of the
large scale and rapid deployment were 22 large-scale projects in Americas, the Abu Dhabi CCS
of CCS. operation or construction – a 50% Project in the UAE will be the
increase since 2011. These have world’s first large-scale CCS
Including CCS in Europe’s future the capacity to capture up to 40 project in the iron and steel sector.
decarbonised energy portfolio million tonnes of CO2 per annum,
is the least cost pathway to equivalent to 8 million cars being MOVEMENT IN EUROPE
decarbonisation. The latest taken off the road every year. After a series of false starts, things
evidence from the International finally look they may are coming
Energy Agency shows that The beginning of October together for CCS in Europe. The
without CCS, the cost of meeting saw the global premiere of Sleipner project has captured
a 50% global CO2 reduction SaskPower’s unveiling of the nearly 1 million tonnes of CO2
target by 2050 would increase Boundary Dam Project in Canada: a year since 1996 from gas
by 40%. More recently, the IPCC the first commercial-scale project production by injecting it into
Synthesis Report concluded that in the world combining post- deep saline formations under the
without CCS, the cost of hitting combustion CCS with coal-fired North Sea. CCS technology also
our 2C target to limit global power generation. The project operates on a Liquified Natural
warming would increase by 138%. saw the transformation of an Gas plant in Snøhvit, storing up to
www.europeanenergyinnovation.eu
