CCS can be the second most effective measure for reducing European CO2 emissions after energy efficiency

andbefore renewables. By 2030, 10 % of EU emissions could be avoided by using CCS.

(International Energy Agency, CO2 Capture and Storage: A Key Carbon Abatement Option, 2008)
The EU is serious about controlling climate change and therefore promotes CO2 Capture and Storage (CCS)
thetechnologies for capturing and permanently storing CO2 from industrial processes.
EU leaders have agreed on the need to demonstrate this technology in industrial conditions at the earliest
opportunity: up to 12 CCS-equipped power plants are to be operational in the EU by 2015.
The European Commission is spearheading the efforts jointly with the Member States and industry,
making the EU the world leader in the field.
CO
2

Capture
and
Storage
DECARBONISING ENERGY FROM FOSSIL FUELS
A combination of technologies
CCS is composed of three phases, each of which can be
achieved through a number of technologies.
Capture
CO2 can be captured wherever large industrial plants burn
fuels such as coal, oil, gas or biomass. Using technologies
such as chemical absorbents, around 90 % of the CO2 pro-
duced can be extracted from the flue gases resulting from
fossil fuel combustion. Using the alternative technology of
pre-combustion capture, the CO2 is extracted from gases
resulting from the conversion of solid fuels into hydrogen.
Transport
Pipelines to transport CO2, over distances even greater than
500km have been in operation for over 30 years. CO2 is an
unreactive, non-explosive gas, which can be easily transported
under pressure in a state where it behaves as a liquid; this
makes its piping technically rather simple, safe and reliable.
Shipping could offer a flexible transport alternative in cer-
taincases. Several ships already exist that are certified for
CO2transport.
Europeans have been quick to realise that if they are serious about controlling climate change, electricity generated
in the EU needs to be decarbonised. To limit global warming to 2 C, greenhouse gas emissions worldwide will have
to be cut significantly by 2050. As the world continues to rely heavily on fossil fuels, there is global consensus that
delivering the necessary emissions reductions efficiently will require the capture and permanent storage of CO2 from
industrial processes.
Helping Europe tackle climate change through CCS
The urgency of the climate challenge has pushed a number
of countries to pursue CCS. At present, the EU is widelyrec-
ognised as a global leader in the field due in part to more
than 10 years of European R&D. Maintaining this global
position and stepping-up to commercialisation of CCS tech-
nologies will create jobs as well as new commercial oppor-
tunities for European businesses.
To bring forward the commercialisation of CCS, the tech -
nology first needs to be demonstrated and proved effective
in large-scale power plants. This will pave the way to extending
CCS to other energy-intensive industries, including steel,
cement and chemicals.
In 2007, leaders agreed that the EU should aim to have up
to12 such demonstration projects by 2015. An EU portfolio
of demonstration projects is the first initiative of its kind to
unite public and private efforts towards the common goal
ofadvancing the deployment of CCS.
Demonstrating CCS in Europe has two main objectives:
to show the feasibility of a full CCS chain in power
generation and other industries;
to help drive down the cost of electricity produced
withCCS.
Inset:
Instead of being
released to the
atmosphere, CO2
is captured during
the generation
ofenergy
Storage
CO2 can be stored either onshore or offshore (under the
sea-bed) at depths of several kilometres. Two geological
formations can be used: saline aquifers or depleted oil
andgas fields.
Generally deeper, saline aquifers are the storage option of
choice for most EU demonstration projects in progress today.
They are already used for temporary storage of natural gas.
Natural saline aquifer
Inset right:
CO2 becomes stabilised
within the porous rock
as it forms natural
compounds with the
surrounding brine and
minerals
Depleted oil or
gas reservoir
CO2 is injected and
stored underground
Impermeable
cap-rock
keeps CO2
underground
The distance between
the power station and
the CCS storage facility
can extend to distances
of over 500 kilometres
The CO2 is pumped
to adepth of about
1.5 km or more
CCS a way to reduce costs of combating
climate change
The EU will be emitting some 4.2 billion tonnes of CO2
annually by 2030 under a business-as-usual scenario.
Significant reductions will be necessary for climate stabilisa-
tion. The IEA Technologies Perspectives 2008 shows that in
scenarios without CCS, the costs for achieving climate stabi-
lisation in 2050 are at least 70 % higher than scenarios that
include CCS (
1
). The IEA shows that EU emissions can be reduced
by 400 milliontonnes CO2/year through CCS. This is less than
energy efficiency (500million tonnes CO2/year) but before
renewables (200million tonnes CO2/year). By 2050, CCS
could reduce EUemissions by up to 1.7 billion tonnes
CO2/year, depending on the extent of use of CCS.
The global leader in CCS
For over 10 years the EU has been funding R&D in CCS,
focusing on projects that will improve performance and
enable electricity produced with CCS to be no more expen-
sive than electricity from most other low-carbon sources.
Since 2009, EU legislation on geological storage of CO2 is in
place. This provides the necessary regulatory framework and
ensures that CO2 will be safely and permanently stored under-
ground. The EU legislation now needs to be transposed into
national laws in Member States.
Recent developments in the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS)
rules bring about two important changes: CO2 captured and
reliably stored can now be considered as not emitted and,
after 2013, stronger economic incentives will exist for indus-
trial operators to prefer low-emission technologies. This
creates conditions to move CCS closer to economic viability
and makes investments in the technology a good business
decision.
(1) Energy Technologies Perspectives 2008 Scenarios and Strategies to 2050,
International Energy Agency, 2008.
CCS how safety is ensured
The EU Directive on the geological storage of carbon dioxide
requires that all CO2 is stored safely and permanently. This is
achievable with existing technology. In a sense, CO2 storage
in hydrocarbon fields is like injecting gas back into the same
spaces in the ground where it was safely stored for millions of
years before being pumped out. These are not large, hollow
spaces, but porous rocks that trap the CO2 in networks of
microscopic cavities.
European industry already has extensive experience with
CO2 storage; since 1996, 1 million tonnes of CO2 per year
have been injected into Norways Sleipner gas f ield with
no trace of leakage.
Once the CO2 has been injected into a rock formation,
chemical processes begin that continue for thousands of
years. In the geological environment CO2 reacts with the
surrounding minerals, stabilising it over time and making it
more difficult for it to migrate underground. Top European
geologists (CO2GeoNet) have therefore concluded that
thesafety of a CO2 storage site tends to increase with time.
CCS ready to be launched
The technology for capturing CO2 from industrial emissions
isnot new its various components have been around for
years. The technologies have been used by the oil, gas and
chemicals industries for over 40 years. Long-distance CO2
transport through pipelines is already in use for Enhanced Oil
Recovery (EOR) and has proven to be environmentally safe
and commercially feasible. Deposition of gases (including
CO2) in geological environments underground has also been
safely practised for many years. Now the processes need to
be integrated into a full value chain, including power
generation.
It is projected that between now and 2070 the EU will need
to store about 20 billion tonnes of CO2. European storage
capacity is estimated to be 120 billion tonnes, and not smaller
than 40 billion tonnes. This means that the minimum storage
estimate is twice as large as the storage capacity needed up
to 2070.
400 million
tonnes CO2 / year
can be avoided
through CCS
by 2030
The next steps
EU support for cleaner coal and CCS research has more than
doubled under the current Seventh Framework Programme
compared with previous periods. The momentum needs to
be sustained so that R&D builds on the experiences from the
first demonstration projects to create improvements to CCS
components and reduce costs further.
Large-scale demonstration is the next milestone. EU financing
is now available: 1.05 billion for up to seven CCS demon-
stration projects is secured through the European Energy
Programme for Recovery; additional financing in the order
ofseveral billion euros will come by 2013 from the New
Entrants Reserve (NER) of the EU ETS. Industry and Member
States are also needed to provide additional project financing.
After 2020, pipeline networks should allow industrial facilities
to be linked to optimal storage sites, even if they are hundreds
of kilometres apart. The European Commission has initiated
studies investigating how pipeline systems could be installed
in the most economic and sustainable manner, whilst max-
imising benefits for EU business and citizens.
For the EU to remain a world leader in CCS, and to accelerate
deployment worldwide, international CCS partnerships will
be crucial. It is the only way to fully exploit the potential of
CCS at a global level so that it helps limit climate change.
Existing EU engagement with other important players such
as China, Australia, US, India, South Africa, and major interna-
tional bodies, will be strengthened.
1. The first CCS demonstration projects will likely have CO2 abate-
ment costs between 60 and 90 per tonne of CO2 higher than
theprojected carbon price under the EU ETS. They will operate in
the red oval and face a financing gap of 25 - 55 per tonne CO2.
2. Successful early demonstration will guide further research
into CCS that will reduce costs. It is estimated that with continuous
technological improvements, the costs can be halved by 2020 and
ensure that CCS plants will operate within commercially feasible
parameters in an environment governed by a robust CO2 price
(blueoval).
Additional cost for CCS,
per ton C0
2
Certifcate price
Average avoidance costs
Likely CCS price without demonstration
2013 2015 2020 Time
50
Funding CCS demonstration good value
for your money
At present, CCS-equipped power plants could not pro-
duce electricity at costs that would make them profitable.
This is because the cost of avoiding CO2 emissions using
the current CCS technology is higher than the price paid
for emitting CO2. The first CCS demonstration projects
would operate in the red oval in the chart (right) and face
a financing gap of at least 25 - 55 per tonne CO2.
It is estimated that with continuous technological im-
provements, the costs can be halved by 2020. This should
ensure that CCS plants can in the future operate within
commercially feasible parameters in an environment
governed by a robust CO2 price (blue oval in the chart).
Successful early demonstration will guide further tech-
nology improvements and therefore merits temporary
public funding. Industry, however, also needs to contribute.
Public funds can give the EU and the world at least a seven
year head-start compared with the likely case without
public intervention. This could equate to 90 gigatonnes
of avoided CO2 emissions worldwide, equivalent to over
20 years of current overall EU CO2 emissions.
S
o
u
r
c
e
:
E
u
r
o
p
e
a
n

C
o
m
m
i
s
s
i
o
n
The Project Network
The European CCS Project Network, launched in 2009, will bring together the demonstration projects that are
underway inEurope. Projects in the Network will benefit from each others experience and interact effectively with
international developments in CCS.
The goal of the European CCS Project Network is to create a prominent community of large-scale projects with the shared
goal ofcommercial viability of CCS by 2020. The Network will foster knowledge-sharing amongst the demonstration projects.
This will accelerate learning and build a critical mass across Europe to ensure that CCS will safely fulfil its full potential
both in the EU and worldwide. The Network is coordinated by the European Commission.
To f ind out more about
how CCS fits into the EUs strategy for sustainable energy www.ec.europa.eu/energy
the European CCS Project Network, where you will find more information on how the European Commission is coordinating
and learning from the demonstration projects www.ccsnetwork.eu
the European Technology Platform for Zero Emission Fossil Fuel Power Plants, a multi-stakeholder initiative involving
industry, governments and NGOs www.zeroemissionsplatform.eu
the European Network of Excellence on Geological Storage of CO2, which comprises over 150 researchers engaged
in assessing the safety and potential of CO2 storage www.co2geonet.com
the EU GeoCapacity project, which has been assessing the European capacity for geological storage of CO2 since 2006
http://www.geology.cz/geocapacity
Pictures: iStock, Shutterstock.
K
O
-
7
8
-
0
9
-
9
5
7
-
E
N
-
D