Climate Action Network Europe / Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)

Introduction | EU Activities | International activities | CAN Europe's views

Introduction

Since the industrial revolution we have seen an increase in greenhouse gas emissions that has caused the global climate to change. In the case of carbon dioxide this is around 30% more than pre-industrial levels. This increase in greenhouse pollution is due to our continued reliance on energy technologies based on fossil fuels - a legacy of the industrial age. The power sector in Europe produces 39 per cent of its CO2 emissions. The biggest share of this comes from coal (72 per cent), followed by gas (18 per cent) and oil (10 per cent). (WWF 2005, Backgrounder: Europe’s Dirty Thirty, PowerSwitch campaign).

Alternative technologies that produce fewer greenhouse gases have, therefore, been at the forefront of the debate on climate change. Carbon capture and storage is the newest and perhaps the most controversial of those technologies currently being investigated.

The technology of capturing and storing carbon dioxide has been promoted as a means to reduce global greenhouse pollution. CO2 Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is the method of removing carbon dioxide emitted from sources such as coal-fired, gas or biomass power stations to store in geological formations (oil and gas wells, unmined coal seams, in saltwater trapped underground or into the oceans.

Storage projects are already in limited use around the world, for example in Norway, where the oil company Statoil has been injecting CO2 into an offshore aquifer to avoid carbon taxes. The oil industry has also used injection of CO2 to improve the flow of oil from partially emptied fields known as Enhanced Oil Recover (EOR). However, there are currently no commercial projects of capturing CO2 from a power station. There has also been discussion, particularly in the fossil fuel and automobile industries, of building a hydrogen economy from modern fossil-fuel power plants where the CO2 is captured and stored in geological formations leaving hydrogen as a fuel for energy or transport use.

There are a number of environmental, social and energy issues surrounding CCS technology that need to be addressed. CAN Europe therefore calls for an informed public debate on CCS technology.

CAN-E views
CAN believes that climate action must be driven by the aim of keeping global warming as far below 2oC as possible in order to prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. This means reducing greenhouse emissions in industrialised countries by at least 30% by 2020 and 80% by 2050.
In order to achieve such reductions, profound, long-term structural changes are needed, especially related to the use of fossil fuels. Climate policy cannot wait for any one technology – we need a package of options to reduce the impact of climate change.

There are a number of key environmental concerns with regard to CCS technology including:
• Can the carbon dioxide be stored permanently underground without leaking back into atmosphere?
• Who is liable for the carbon dioxide if leakage does occur?
• What regulatory monitoring and verification system exists?
• What are the health and environmental risks if leakage does occur?
• Will resources be diverted away from renewable and energy efficiency?

NGOs do not support the use of oceans to store CO2 waste as we believe that the environmental risks are too high and there is great uncertainty over emission reduction effects. See CAN Europe’s position on ocean storage.

Research activities
Current industry and government research is increasingly looking into the capture and storage of carbon dioxide as a means of preventing its release into the atmosphere. The IPCC released a Special Report on CO2 Capture and Storage in September 2005 which demonstrates a number of key issues and gaps in knowledge with regard to the technology. The EU is also investigating possibilities for CO2 Capture and Storage through its Zero Emissions Fossil Fuel Technology Platform [put link to EU page here] and has funded a number of research projects on CCS in its Framework Programmes (FP) FP5 and FP6 and will be looking to fund more in the upcoming FP7.

Climate Technology Assessment Project
NGOs have undertaken research through a project entitled ‘Climate Technology Assessment Project’. The project examined CCS technology including the links to producing hydrogen. The project was undertaken from 2003 to 2004 and fact sheets were produced on the technologies. Information on the project including workshops that were held is available here.

CCS and the EU
The EU is investigating CCS technology through a number of activities in the Commission:
- DG Research’s Zero Emissions Fossil Fuel Technology Platform
- DG Environment’s 2nd phase of the European Climate Change Programme.
The EU also plays in part internationally by its membership of the European Community as well as separate member states in the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum led by the US.

CCS and International
Internationally, CCS is a major issue. The USA and Australia are keen proponents of CCS technology and are relying on this technology as a way to reduce greenhouse emissions. However, technology alone, whilst important, will not drive the necessary greenhouse reductions to prevent dangerous climate change. NGOs believe that what is needed is a framework like the Kyoto Protocol that drives emissions reductions.

CAN Europe position paper on CO2 Capture and Storage

CAN Europe Position Paper: No CCS in the CDM

If we do trigger drastic climate change, all of coal’s contributions to the empowerment of humanity will be overshadowed by the enormous price of that power. Our excuses for continuing to burn coal while ignoring the threat of climate change for so many years – our lack of scientific uncertainty, our desire to keep our electricity rates low, our fear of a slowed economy, and our reluctance to make sacrifices others are not forced to make – will ring hollow to those coping with the catastrophic consequences of our actions.
Barbara Freese, 2003, Coal: A Human History, USA.

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Assuming that geosequestration (CCS) will be proven and be cost effective is a bit like going for a drive in a car with no brakes, and hoping that someone will invent brakes before you get to a corner. It’s rather ironic that people who think that we can’t assume renewable technology will evolve and be more cost- effective are quite happy to make a heroic leap of faith that geosequestration will be proven in the next five minutes. Australian energy scientist, Professor Ian Lowe, 2003.