2009

21 December 2009
Copenhagen conference comes to a close
The annual United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen has ended, without commitments to legally binding cuts in emissions, but with some countries agreeing to a ‘Copenhagen Accord’. The Accord recognises the view that an increase in global temperatures below 2 degrees Celsius is required to avoid the worst effects of climate change. Developed countries will commit to emissions targets from 2020, to be listed in the accord by 31 January 2010. Developing countries will also list their pledges by the same date and communicate their efforts to limit emissions every two years. The Copenhagen Green Climate Fund will be established to provide up to $30 billion of support for developing countries over the next three years. Developed countries also agreed to support a goal of jointly mobilising $100 billion per year by 2020 to address the needs to developing countries. View the press release.

18 December 2009
Basin Electric selects Doosan Babcock and HTC Purenergy for FEED studies
Basin Electric has selected Doosan Babcock and HTC Purenergy to carry out a Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) study to evaluate the feasibility for adding CCS equipment to the Antelope Valley Station near Beulah, North Dakota. The study will focus on the costs and engineering of retrofitting capture equipment to one of the plant’s two, 450 MW units. It’s anticipated the retrofit would capture the equivalent of a 120MW slipstream from exhaust gases. View the press release.

18 December 2009
Draft text on distribution of EU funding sent to Member States
A draft text, on how to distribute the 300 million EUAs set aside from the New Entrants Reserve for CCS and innovative renewables, has been sent to Member States by the European Commission. The draft text proposes two rounds of calls for proposals, with 200 million allowances available for the first tranche and the remainder for the second. It is proposed that Member States will assess whether a project meets the eligibility criteria and if they will support the project. The Member State would then submit the project proposal to the European Investment Bank and inform the Commission. The Commission will make the final decision over which projects receive funding. Member States are due to vote on the text in February. View the full story.

17 December 2009
Air Products and US DOE sign agreement
Air Products has signed a cooperative agreement with the US Department of Energy and will now begin phase one of a project to capture CO2 and use it in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) work. The full project proposes to capture CO2 from Air Products’ steam methane reformers at a refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, and then transport it via pipeline for EOR. The engineering study that will now be conducted will be amongst several others to be evaluated for further overall project funding in 2010. View the press release.

16 December 2009
Shell and RWE npower sign agreement for Aberthaw
Shell and RWE npower have agreed contracts to build a Cansolv integrated sulphur dioxide and carbon dioxide capture pilot at the Aberthaw power station in Wales. The 3MW plant will be capable of capturing 50 tonnes of CO2 per day from a slipstream of the flue gas at Aberthaw. Subject to planning permission being granted, construction is expected to begin in January with commissioning expected in early 2011. View the press release.

16 December 2009
French funding for CCS announced
President Nicolas Sarkozy has announced a €35 billion spending plan that includes support for sustainable development in France. €1.5 billion has been earmarked for CCS. View the full story.

15 December 2009
Maersk, Fortum and TVO announce joint CCS project
Maersk, Fortum and TVO have joined forces for a project that will capture CO2 from the Meri-Pori coal-fired power plant in Finland and transport it by Maersk Tankers’ vessels for geological storage. Maersk Oil will investigate the possibilities for storing the CO2 in depleting oil and gas fields in the Danish North Sea and using it for EOR. The project aims to begin operation by 2015 and store over 1.2 million tonnes of CO2 per year. The partners hope that the project will qualify for the EU’s CCS Demonstration Programme. View the press release.

14 December 2009
Major Economies Forum releases Technology Action Plans
The Major Economies Forum (MEF) has released ten Technology Action Plans setting out options for ambitious government action on ten key clean energy technologies. The US now plans to invite ministers from MEF countries and those working under the Global Partnership to meet and discuss how to promote progress in these areas. The CCS action plan was developed by the UK and Australia, and includes recommendations to ensure the fulfilment of the G8 commitment to support the launch of 20 CCS projects by 2010 and to provide government investment in both integrated CCS projects and work to accelerate understanding of storage sites. View the press release and a further press release.

11 December 2009
Spain introduces CCS legislation
Spain has set out draft legislation to regulate geological storage of CO2. The draft bill was introduced by the Ministry for the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs, with the aim of transposing the EU’s CCS Directive into Spanish law. View the press release and the full story.

10 December 2009
Senators release framework for climate change legislation
Senators John Kerry, Lindsey Graham and Joe Lieberman have released their framework for comprehensive climate change and energy independence legislation. The framework includes a commitment to providing dedicated support for early deployment of CCS. View the press release.

9 December 2009
UK announces support for four demonstration projects
The Chancellor, Alistair Darling has announced in his Pre-Budget Report that the UK will now support a total of four CCS demonstration projects. This is an important step forward from the previous commitment of ‘up to four’ projects. The report states that the Government intends to phase in these projects over the period 2014-2018. The projects will be funded by the levy on electricity supplies that is included in the current Energy Bill. The Bill had its second reading in the House of Commons earlier this week. The report also notes that enabling powers included in the Bill “will be capable of raising funds to retrofit CCS onto any generating units of the power station not fitted with the equipment from the outset.” View the report.

9 December 2009
Commission approves six CCS projects for recovery package funding
The European Commission has announced its approval of six CCS projects to receive €1 billion from the European Energy Programme for Recovery. The projects at Jaenschwalde, Rotterdam, Belchatow, Compostilla and Hatfield will all receive €180 million each. Porto-Tolle in Italy will receive €100 million. View the press release and the project list.

8 December 2009
Australia reveals CCS project short list
The Australian Government has announced that four projects will move to the next stage of assessment in their $2 billion CCS Flagships Program. The Australian Government will now spend up to $120 million on pre-feasibility work to further assess the following projects:

• Wandoan power plant project northwest of Brisbane, generating 334 MWe and aiming to store up to 2.5 mega tonnes of CO2 per annum;
• ZeroGen power plant project west of Gladstone in Queensland, generating 400 MWe and aiming to store up to 2.0 mega tonnes of CO2 per annum;
• Collie South West Hub project southwest of Perth which aims to store up to 3.3 mega tonnes of CO2 per annum, captured from surrounding industry including coal-fired power plants; and
• CarbonNet project in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley which aims to store between 3 and 5 mega tonnes of CO2 per annum, captured from coal-fired power plants in the region.

View the press release.

7 December 2009
Copenhagen conference begins
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) conference has begun in Copenhagen. The two week meeting is the culmination of a process set in motion in Bali, where Parties to the UNFCCC agreed to conclude negotiations on a new global deal in Denmark in 2009. Starting today, UNFCCC working groups have six days to conclude negotiations before the Ministerial High Level Segment starts 16 December. Ministers will then have two days to take any unresolved issues forward and prepare a workable package, which world leaders can endorse on 18 December. View the press release.

Members of the CCSA team will be amongst over 15,000 participants at the conference. For those on Twitter, Jeff will be regularly updating his Twitter-feed during the conference; you can read his Tweets by following @JeffChapmanCCSA

4 December 2009
GCCSI opens support programme
The Global CCS Institute (GCCSI) has opened its Project Funding and Support Program, which will allocate AUD $50 million per annum to support a wide portfolio of CCS projects around the world. The funding will be aimed at large-scale CCS projects in the critical stages of project concept and development. This support could include funding pre-feasibility studies, assistance to overcome barriers, regulatory facilitation and linking project partners and investors. View the press release.

4 December 2009
US announces $3bn investment in CCS
The US Energy Secretary, Steven Chu, has announced the selection of three new projects to accelerate the development of CCS. Investment of up to $979 million by the US Department of Energy, including funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will be leveraged by more than $2.2 billion in private capital cost share as part of the third round of the Department’s Clean Coal Power Initiative. The three projects are:

• American Electric Power’s Mountaineer CCS demonstration in West Virginia.
• Southern Company’s 160 MW CCS retrofit at Alabama Power’s Plant Barry coal-fired power station.
• Texas Clean Energy’s 400 MW CCS demonstration plant.

View the press release.

4 December 2009
EU launches CCS knowledge sharing network
The European Commission has launched its new knowledge sharing network for CCS demonstration projects. The network will be coordinated by DNV and will provide a means of exchanging information and sharing experience. The focus of the network will be on identifying best practices and accelerating the process towards wider deployment of CCS. View the press release.

1 December 2009
Alberta funds Swan Hills project
The Alberta Government has signed a Letter of Intent with Swan Hills Synfuels for an in-situ coal gasification project with CCS. The province will invest C$285 million in the project from its $2 billion CCS Fund. The project will convert deep, unmineable coal near Swan Hills into syngas and generate electricity. It will capture up to 1.3 million tonnes of CO2 per year for use in enhanced oil recovery in the area. Construction is expected to begin in 2011 with capture scheduled to start by 2015. View the press release.

30 November 2009
EU and China reaffirm support for CCS
The Twelfth EU-China Summit has concluded in Nanjing, China. The two sides reaffirmed their aim to develop and demonstrate CCS. China welcomed the move to progress with the NZEC project and the pledge by the European Commission of up to €57 million to support the project. View the joint statement.

25 November 2009
Major breakthrough for carbon capture at Longannet
ScottishPower and Aker Clean Carbon have announced a major breakthrough as a result of tests being conducted at their post-combustion capture pilot plant at Longannet. The plant has successfully demonstrated a reduction in the energy requirement of the capture process by about a third from a reference plant. The project is part of the SOLVit R&D programme and testing will continue until February next year. View the press release.

24 November 2009
Canada and Alberta support CO2 pipeline
The Canadian Federal and Alberta Governments have committed C$558 million to fund a CO2 pipeline in Alberta. The 240 km pipeline, named “The Alberta Carbon Trunk Line”, will be able to carry up to 40,000 tonnes of CO2 per day, although initially the pipeline will take 5,100 tonnes, produced in the Industrial Heartland near Fort Saskatchewan, and store it in aging oil fields in the central part of the province. Alberta has committed C$495 million over 15 years for the pipeline (as part of the C$2 billion set aside for CCS) with the remaining C$63 million coming from the Federal Government. Construction is set to begin in 2011 with first shipments expected in late 2012. View the full story and the press release.

16 November 2009
New US-China Clean Energy Research Center announced
A new US-China Clean Energy Research Center has been announced during Barack Obama’s visit to Beijing. The Center will facilitate joint research and development on topics including CCS. It will benefit from at least $150 million of public and private funding over five years. The two countries also agreed to promote cooperation on large-scale carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) demonstration projects and to begin work immediately on the development, deployment, diffusion, and transfer of CCS technology. View the press release.

It was also announced that GE Energy and Shenhua Group have signed an agreement on IGCC and CCS, and that Peabody will now be more involved in the GreenGen project.

9 November 2009
UK publishes NPSs and A Framework for the Development of Clean Coal
The UK Government has published six draft National Policy Statements (NPS) on energy, designed to guide the work of the Infrastructure Planning Commission and to speed up the process of gaining planning permission. The draft NPSs will now be consulted on. The Department of Energy and Climate Change has also published 'A Framework for the Development of Clean Coal' in response to their recent consultation. In his statement to the House of Commons, the Secretary of State, Ed Miliband said that CCS will now be required on a portion of all new coal-fired power stations. A levy will support up to four projects, perhaps two post-combustion projects and two pre-combustion projects. The pre-combustion plants will be expected to fully fit CCS from the start. The post-combustion plants will be expected to fit CCS onto a portion of the plant with the rest to be retrofitted by 2025. The retrofit will also be supported by the levy. The Government also confirmed today that it has received two bids, from E.ON and ScottishPower, to proceed to the next stage of the current CCS competition. View the DECC press release and the CCSA press release.

5 November 2009
Storage project reaches million tonne milestone
A large-scale CO2 storage project at Cranfield in Mississippi has become the fifth in the world to reach the milestone of over 1 million tonnes of CO2 injected. The project is led by the Southeast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (SECARB), one of seven members of the US Department of Energy’s Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships Program. The project combines the use of CO2 injection with EOR, followed by CO2 injection into deeper and larger saline formations. View the press release.

4 November 2009
Alstom and Schlumberger to offer carbon capture ready studies
Alstom and Schlumberger have announced an agreement to jointly offer studies into carbon capture readiness. The studies will involve technical analysis identifying how a power plant could be adapted to accommodate Alstom capture systems, as well as evaluation of potential storage sites for the plant and required investments for future CO2 transport and storage. View the press release.

30 October 2009
Alstom and AEP formally launch pilot plant
American Electric Power (AEP) and Alstom have formally launched their CCS pilot project at AEP’s Mountaineer Plant in West Virginia. The 20MW project is the world’s first to both capture and store CO2 from a coal-fired power station. It began capturing on 1 September and storing on 2 October, and is designed to capture at lease 100,000 tonnes of CO2 annually. View the press release.

29 October 2009
GE technology selected for Hydrogen Energy project
GE Energy has signed a technology licensing agreement with Hydrogen Energy for a proposed 250MW IGCC plant in Kern County, California. The plant will be designed to capture 90% of its CO2 for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) and storage in an adjacent oil field. View the press release.

27 October 2009
ICE launches report on CCS
The Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE) has launched a new report entitled Carbon Capture and Storage – Time to Deliver. The report features six papers on various different aspects of CCS, including one written by Jeff Chapman, Chief Executive of the CCSA. Speaking at the launch event, ICE Vice President Geoff French said: “The UK was quick on the uptake in the global race to deploy CCS but now we have fallen behind other nations. If we want to keep a competitive lead and take advantage of the export opportunity it presents, progress needs to be greatly accelerated.” View the press release.

22 October 2009
GE to provide technology for Gorgon project
GE has announced that it has been selected by Chevron to provide compression equipment for the Gorgon CCS project. The equipment will be manufactured in Italy and shipped in 2011 and 2012. View the press release.

21 October 2009
MRCSP completes successful CO2 injection test
The Midwest Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (MRCSP) has successfully injected 1,000 tonnes of CO2 into a deep saline formation known as the Mount Simon Sandstone. MRCSP is one of the US Department of Energy’s seven regional CCS partnerships. The results indicate that the formation has good potential to serve as a storage site for stationary CO2 sources in the region. View the press release.

18-19 October 2009
Major Economies Forum meets in London
The Major Economies Forum (MEF) meeting took place in London this week and was attended by officials from seventeen major economies. The meeting focused on finance, technology, mitigation pathways, how to reflect mitigation commitments and actions, and ways of improving transparency and accountability. Progress on developing the eight technology action plans, including one on CCS, was noted and these are due to be published on 15 November. View the final MEF communiqué.

16 October 2009
Commission recommends CCS projects to Parliament
The European Commission has recommended six CCS projects to the European Parliament to receive funding under the economic recovery package. The projects are Jaenschwalde in Germany, Rotterdam in the Netherlands, Belchatow in Poland, Compostilla in Spain, Hatfield in the UK and Porto Tolle in Italy. The European Parliament now has a month to raise objections and the final list of winners is expected to be published around mid-November. View the full story.

15 October 2009
Alstom and TransAlta launch Project Pioneer
Alstom and TransAlta, the Canadian power company, have announced the creation of a partnership to construct the world’s largest CCS demonstration project at the Keephills 3 power plant in Alberta, Canada. Project Pioneer will capture and store one million tonnes of CO2 per year by 2015, using Alstom’s chilled ammonia capture technology. The project will benefit from €500 million in funding from the Alberta and Canadian governments. Philippe Joubert, President of Alstom Power said: “The significant size of this project demonstrates that we are no longer in the testing phase, but are ready for commercialisation.” View the press release.

14 October 2009
GCCSI announces $3.6m in funding
The Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute (GCCSI) has announced AUD $3.6 million of funding for a broad range of activities that aim to build knowledge and expertise in order to accelerate deployment of CCS. From this funding $1.2 million will support the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum’s Capacity Building Program and $2.4 million (in conjunction with a significant contribution from the Norwegian Government) will support CCS capacity building through the World Bank CCS Trust Fund. View the press release.

14 October 2009
Alberta signs letter of intent with TransAlta
The Alberta government and TransAlta Corporation have signed a Letter of Intent for Project Pioneer that will demonstrate CCS technology. Alberta will provide $431 million of funding for the project over 15 years, as well as an additional $5 million for front end engineering and design. The Government of Canada will also contribute $343 million to the project through their Clean Energy Fund and ecoENERGY Technology Initiative. View the press release.

14 October 2009
Siemens technology chosen for Fortum CCS project
Fortum has announced that Siemens will provide CCS technology for its demonstration at the Meri-Pori 565 MW coal-fired power plant in Western Finland. The demonstration will capture from approximately 50% of the power station’s flue gases and is due to begin operation in 2015. View the full story.

14 October 2009
Saudi Arabia announces CO2 EOR demonstration project
Saudi Arabia has announced plans for a CO2 EOR project. The demonstration at the Ghawar oilfield is due to begin in 2013. View the full story.

13 October 2009
IEA releases CCS roadmap
The International Energy Agency (IEA) released a new CCS roadmap at the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum Ministerial meeting in London. The roadmap sets out milestones and key actions for CCS to achieve its greenhouse gas mitigation potential. The growth plan aims to see 100 projects globally by 2020 and over 3000 projects by 2050. View the press release.

13 October 2009
CCP briefing to CSLF
The CO2 Capture Project (CCP) gave a briefing to ministers at the recent CSLF meeting on progress that has been made on some of the remaining technical barriers to CCS. Studies undertaken by CCP confirm that the safe, long-term geological storage of CO2 is achievable. The CCP’s findings are set out in a new book Advances in CO2 Capture and Storage Technology. At the meeting CCP received a CSLF Recognition Award. View the press release.

13 October 2009
South Korea to invest $1.1bn in CCS
The South Korean government has said that the state owned utility, Korea Electric Power Corp. will invest $1.1 billion (1.3 trillion won) by 2020 in CCS. The Ministry of Knowledge Economy announced that the Government will also spend a further 100 billion won on CCS R&D. View the full story.

12 October 2009
Chu calls for affordable CCS deployment within a decade
Steven Chu, the US Secretary of Energy, has called adoption of a goal to advance CCS technology to the point where widespread, affordable deployment can begin within a decade. In a letter to energy ministers, scientists and industry partners around the world, he states that “…finding safe, affordable, broadly deployable methods to capture and store carbon dioxide is clearly amongst the most important issues scientists have ever been asked to solve. We can, and should, and must strive to do so within the next 8 to 10 years.” View the letter.

12-14 October 2009
Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum
Energy Ministers from around the world are this week meeting for the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum (CSLF) Ministerial meeting in London, which follows immediately after a meeting of the CSLF Stakeholder Forum.
View the CCSA press release and the CSLF press releases.
Read the CSLF stakeholder communique and the CSLF ministerial communique
Download a video (17Mb) by Lord Oxburgh, President of the CCSA (this is a large file, it is reccomend that you save to your computer before opening - Right-click & 'Save Target As').

9 October 2009
ETI launches CO2 storage assessment project
The Energy Technologies Institute has launched a new project to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the UK’s CO2 storage capacity. The £3.5 million project, known as the United Kingdom CO2 Storage Appraisal Project (UKSAP), will be led by Senergy Alternative Energy. View the press release.

8 October 2009
Alberta signs letter of intent with Shell
The province of Alberta has signed a letter of intent with Shell Canada to provide $745 million in funding for its Quest CCS project over the next 15 years. The project is a joint venture with Chevron Canada and Marathon Oil Sands that will see up to 1.2 million tonnes of CO2 per year captured from the Scotford Upgrader and stored. The funding is part of the $2 billion commitment made by the government of Alberta to advance CCS. Alberta is also contributing $120 million to the project through its Clean Energy Fund. View the press release.

8 October 2009
Pilot project successfully captures 90% of CO2
Alstom, We Energies and The Electric Power Research Institue (EPRI) have announced that their pilot plant at the Pleasant Prairie coal-fired power station in Wisconsin has successfully demonstrated more than 90% capture of CO2 from a flue stream. The 1.7MW plant has demonstrated use of Alstom’s chilled ammonia capture process in real world conditions. Testing began in early 2008 and will conclude this year. View the press release.

8 October 2009
E.ON delays Kingsnorth
E.ON has announced that it will delay a decision on Kingsnorth. In a statement the company said: “We can confirm that we expect to defer an investment decision on the Kingsnorth proposals for up to two to three years. This is based on the global recession, which has pushed back the need for new plant in the UK to around 2016 because of the reduction in demand for electricity.” View the full story.

2 October 2009
Pilot project begins storing CO2
A CCS pilot at American Electric Power’s Mountaineer plant in West Virginia has begun storing CO2. The CO2 stream from the 20MW pilot was judged to be pure enough to store last week. The joint project by AEP and Alstom is expected to run for two to five years and has cost approximately $100 million. View the full story.

30 September 2009
South African CCS centre launched
The South African Centre for Carbon Capture and Storage has officially been launched, as part of Carbon Capture and Storage Week that has also included conferences and workshops in Johannesburg. View the full story.

29 September 2009
Operation begins at Toshiba's pilot plant
Toshiba has completed construction and begun operating its CCS pilot plant at the Mikawa Power Plant in Omuta, Japan. The pilot is designed to capture 10 tonnes of CO2 per day from the flue gases of the coal-fired power plant. Toshiba aims to be able to meet emerging needs for CCS systems at power stations by 2015 and hopes to generate net sales of 100 billion yen in 2020 through CCS related business. View the press release.

25 September 2009
DECC launches consultation on licensing regime
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has launched a new consultation on the Government’s proposals for an offshore carbon dioxide licensing regime. The regime will be based on powers given by the Energy Act 2008 and forms part of the transposition into UK law of the EU Directive on the geological storage of CO2. The consultation runs until 30th December 2009. View the consultation documents and the press release.

22 September 2009
Doosan Babcock calls for more ambitious UK CCS programme
Doosan Babcock has called for urgent action by the UK Government to ensure that CCS objectives are met, warning that current proposals could lead to no new coal-fired power stations or CCS demonstrations being built. Doosan Babcock proposes a ‘Middle Way’ approach that would include a commitment by Government (to be made before the Copenhagen negotiations) to at least four CCS projects covering at least three capture technologies and two or three options for storage. View the press release.

18 September 2009
E.ON and Siemens switch on pilot plant
E.ON and Siemens have begun operating a CO2 capture pilot plant at E.ON’s Staudinger coal-fired power station in Germany. The pilot will capture CO2 from the power plant’s flue gas and the results will be used to optimise the post-combustion capture process as well as serving as a basis for further large-scale CCS demonstrations. The project is sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Economics (under the COORETEC Initiative) and is intended to run until the end of 2010. View the press release.

14 September 2009
Italy-China partnership on CCS
An agreement to cooperate on CCS technology development has been signed by the Minister for Science and Technology in China, the Minister of the Environment in Italy and by the Director of Enel’s Engineering and Innovation Division. The agreement will encourage information exchange between researchers in China and Italy, and calls for a feasibility study into installing capture facilities at a Chinese coal-fired plant with the CO2 then being used for EOR purposes. Enel will contribute by sharing experience gained at its CO2 capture pilot at Federico II Plant, which is due to start operating in 2010. View the press release.

11 September 2009
Canadian provinces sign CCS MOU
Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on CCS technology and policy, agreeing to advance cooperation on research and technology. Premier Stelmach of Alberta said: “By joining forces with B.C. and Saskatchewan, we can better develop and deploy this innovative technology, helping to meet climate change objectives and make us international leaders in this technology.” View the press release.

11 September 2009
Plans for CCS project in Queensland announced
Waratah Coal has announced that it plans to build a $1.25 billion coal-fired power station with CCS in the Galilee Basin in Queensland, Australia. The company has begun pre-feasibility studies into the 450MW plant. Initial studies have already shown high potential for CO2 storage in the Galilee Basin. View the press release.

10 September 2009
Alstom and Dow start up CCS pilot
Alstom and Dow have begun operating a pilot plant to capture CO2 from a coal-fired boiler at Dow’s facility in South Charleston, West Virginia. The pilot uses proprietary advanced-amine technology to capture approximately 1,800 tonnes of CO2 per year. It will operate for the next two years. View the press release.

9 September 2009
CCS could be a boom industry for the UK
New research from the University of Edinburgh has found that CCS could be one of the boom industries over the next two decades in the UK. Britain could make up to £5 billion per year selling licences to store CO2 to other countries and the market for CCS technology could be worth a further £3 billion to £5 billion. The CCS industry could support up to 240,000 jobs, which is almost as much as current levels in the North Sea oil and gas industries. Speaking at the British Science Festival, Dr Haszeldine said: “We need to capitalise on our technical ability and this huge storage asset, and do not just one demonstration project - which the Government has talked about being ready by 2014, but to go for those four demonstrations, and probably to five, by 2016.” View the full story and the paper.

2 September 2009
CO2 transmission guidelines completed
A joint industry partnership initiated by DNV and known as CO2PIPETRANS has completed its guidelines on pipeline transport of CO2. The guidelines cover development, design, construction, testing, operation and maintenance of steel pipelines for CO2 transmission, as well as identifying further gaps in knowledge that will be addressed in phase two of the JIP (for which new partners are being sought). View the press release.

2 September 2009
CDM Executive Board releases report
The CDM Executive Board has released its final report for the UNFCCC on the implications of including CCS activities in the Clean Development Mechanism. The report covers technical, methodological, legal, environmental and market issues. View the report.

31 August 2009
Chinese CCS project to be completed this year
Shanghai Shidongkou Second Power Plant is due to complete construction and begin capturing up to 100,000 tonnes of CO2 annually from a coal-fired power plant by the end of this year. The CCS project is the second by the company’s parent, Huaneng Power International Inc., and is expected to cost approximately $22 million. View the full story.

26 August 2009
Australia's Gorgon project clears final hurdles
The Gorgon LNG project in Western Australia, Barrow Island, has cleared remaining regulatory hurdles following the approval of the project by the Australian Environment Ministry and the Western Australia state government, who have also agreed to jointly accept long term liability for the storage of CO2 under Barrow Island. US oil company Chevron, the main project partner alongside Shell and Exxon Mobil, has already received AUD $60 million in funding from the Australian Government, and Chevron expects to give the go ahead to the project in mid-September. As well as consisting of three 5 million tonnes per year LNG trains and a domestic gas plant, Chevron also aims to build the worlds largest CCS demonstration project. View the full story and the Chevron press release.

20 August 2009
Queensland bans unabated coal
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has unveiled a new climate change strategy, which allocates AUD $87 million to new initiatives. At the heart of the strategy is a ban on new coal-fired power stations unless they meet two requirements; utilising state of the art low emission technology as well as designed as carbon capture and storage ready to be retrofitted with CCS within five years of CCS being made commercially viable. View the full story.

19 August 2009
Knowledge Transfer Network selects APGTF as delivery partner
Following the recent establishment by the Technology Strategy Board of a new Energy Generation & Supply Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN), the Advanced Power Generation Technology Forum (APGTF) has been chosen as the delivery partner for one of the four priority areas to be covered by the KTN – the Carbon Abatement Technologies (CATs) area. The Technology Strategy Board will formally launch the Energy Generation & Supply KTN on the 13th October at their “Innovate 09” event in London. View the press release.

18 August 2009
RWE plant in Germany tests CO2 scrubbing
A pilot plant to test CO2 scrubbing from flue gases has been launched at the RWE Niederaussem brown coal plant in Western Germany. Partners in the project include BASF, supplying solvents, and Linde, supplying process engineering. The project is 40 per cent funded by the Berlin Ministry and if it proves successful, the process will be transferred to existing coal and gas fired power stations from 2020. View the full story.

13 August 2009
Shell and National Grid join ScottishPower's CCS consortium
Shell and National Grid have joined ScottishPower’s CCS consortium, which also includes Aker Clean Carbon. The consortium has entered the UK’s CCS competition with a bid based on a retro-fit project at Longannet power station. Nick Horler, Chief Executive of Scottish Power said: “I am delighted to welcome Shell and National Grid to the team. Both of these companies will bring specialist knowledge, expertise and opportunities for growth in the development of this cutting edge technology. For the consortium the two new companies represent a ‘perfect fit’ as it strives to reduce CO2 emissions by 90% from its power plant at Longannet in Scotland.” View the press release.

10 August 2009
North American CCS partnership
At the North American Leaders Summit, the U.S., Mexico and Canada have agreed a partnership on CCS and committed to producing a North American Carbon Atlas that will result in uniform mapping methodology and data sharing on CO2 sources and potential storage sites. The partnership will also explore ways to collaborate on research, development and demonstration.View the press release.

27 July 2009
GE announces Australian IGCC plant
GE Energy has announced an IGCC plant with CCS to be built in Queensland, Australia. The proposed 400MW Wandoan project would be capable of capturing 90% of its CO2 and could be operating by late 2015 or early 2016. Stanwell and Xstrata Coal will work with GE to develop the project. View the press release.

24 July 2009
Doosan Babcock launches OxyCoal demonstration
Doosan Babcock has launched the world’s largest OxyCoal Clean Combustion Test Facility. Joan Ruddock, Minister of State for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), opened the new facility at Renfrew, which will demonstrate Doosan Babcock’s OxyCoal Clean Combustion system on a 40MWth burner. The project is a collaboration between Doosan Babcock, DECC and Scottish and Southern Energy, as well as Air Products, Drax, DONG, EDF, E.ON, ScottishPower, Vattenfall and UK Coal. View the press release.

15 July 2009
UK launches Low Carbon Transition Plan and Low Carbon Industrial Strategy
In a new White Paper, the UK Government has set out its plan for the country’s transition to a low-carbon economy, including how 2020 emissions reductions targets will be achieved. The paper states that in 2011 the levy on electricity suppliers to fund CCS demonstration projects is to be in place and that the government is considering how to encourage clusters (in areas such as Yorkshire and Humber, the Thames Estuary, the Firth of Forth, Tyne/Tees and Merseyside). The paper also announces that the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) will establish an Office of Carbon Capture and Storage (OCCS). DECC will consult with stakeholders on the objectives, functions and tasks of OCCS and aims to announce further details in the autumn. The UK Government has also published its Low Carbon Industrial Strategy, which aims to ensure that British businesses are able to maximise opportunities and minimise costs in the transition to a low carbon economy. View the Low Carbon Transition Plan and the Low Carbon Industrial Strategy.

9 July 2009
Major Economies Forum declaration
Participants in the Major Economies Forum have released a declaration outlining their vision for future cooperation on climate change issues. This includes statements that they will establish a Global Partnership to drive low carbon technologies and those countries taking a lead on technologies (including CCS) will report by 15 November on action plans and roadmaps and give recommendations for further progress. The declaration also recognises the need to urgently scale up financial resources for addressing climate change and that this should involve support for action in developing countries. View the press release.

7 July 2009
EU Council approves project list
The European Council has approved the list of energy projects to benefit from the EU’s economic recovery plan. The list includes 13 CCS projects that could benefit from €1050 million. View the press release.

1 July 2009
US DOE awards $408 million to two CCS projects
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced that projects by CCSA member Hydrogen Energy and Basin Electric Power Cooperative will receive up to $408 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Hydrogen Energy has been awarded $308 million for its IGCC plant in Kern County, California, which will capture 90% of its CO2 emissions. The captured CO2 will be used for enhanced oil recovery and stored. Basin Electric’s post-combustion project, at their Antelope Valley Station near Beulah, will receive $100 million. The selection of the two projects is part of the DOE’s Clean Coal Power Initiative. View the US DOE press release and the Hydrogen Energy press release.

30 June 2009
Alberta selects three CCS projects
The Alberta government has selected three CCS projects that will benefit from $2 billion of funding. The projects are Shell, Chevron and Marathon Oil Sands CCS project at the Scotford Upgrader, The Alberta Carbon Trunk Line by Enhance and Northwest and EPCOR and Enbridge’s IGCC CCS plant at EPCOR’s existing Genesee power plant. The Government hopes to have letters of intent signed by the end of July and has budgeted $100 million in the current fiscal year for engineering and design work on these projects. View the press release.

30 June 2009
Imperial College centre for CCS launched
Researchers at Imperial College were pleased to launch the Imperial College Centre for Carbon Capture and Storage (IC4S) on Tuesday 23rd June to an industry-based audience. The college-wide virtual Centre, a part of the Energy Futures Laboratory and supported by the Grantham Institute for Climate Change, will act as a focal point for work at Imperial on all aspects of CCS. It will draw upon the international reputation and multidisciplinary nature of Imperial's programmes to partner with industry, government and other organisations in a holistic way to help address the challenges of delivering CCS. The launch event included a keynote speech from Neil Hirst, Director for Energy Technology and R&D at the International Energy Agency. Further details can be found at www.imperial.ac.uk/ccs or by contacting the IC4S Director, Jon Gibbins.

29 June 2009
Energy Bill proposed to fund CCS demonstration projects
As part of the legislative programme for the forthcoming session of Parliament set out by the government today, a new Energy Bill has been proposed in order to introduce a funding mechanism to support up to four CCS demonstration projects in the UK. The current consultation, ‘A framework for the development of clean coal’, includes proposals for the detailed design of the mechanism. View the legislative programme.

26 June 2009
UK launches Copenhagen manifesto
The UK Government has published The Road to Copenhagen – a manifesto detailing the UK’s hope for a new global climate change agreement in Copenhagen later this year. In his speech to launch the manifesto, when commenting on reducing emissions in developing countries, the Prime Minister said: “…And perhaps most vitally of all, given the likelihood of continued fossil fuel use, we need to see Carbon Capture and Storage being demonstrated in developing economies as well as developed ones.” On CCS, the manifesto notes that “In October the UK will be co-hosting with Norway the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum (CSLF) where we aim to scale up international action on Carbon Capture and Storage demonstration and build the momentum for an ambitious outcome at Copenhagen.” View the press release.

25 June 2009
EU to fund CCS demonstration project in China
The European Commission has announced plans to allocate up to €50 million for the construction and operation of a CCS demonstration project in China, as part of the EU-China Near Zero Emissions Coal Plant project. The money comes from a total of €60 million that has been earmarked for cooperation with emerging economies on clean coal technologies and CCS. View the press release.

18 June 2009
GreenGen CCS project to begin construction
Construction of the GreenGen CCS project is expected to begin on 26 June 2009. The new coal-fired power station in Tianjin (150km from Beijing) will be China’s first commercial scale CCS project. The first phase, at a size of 250 MWe, is expected to begin operation in 2011. A further two phases will expand the project to 650 MW by 2016. Captured CO2 will be used for Enhanced Oil Recovery. View the full story.

17 June 2009
UK Government Launches Clean Coal Consultation
The UK Government has launched its consultation document 'A framework for the development of clean coal' as as the following report: 'Future Value of Coal Carbon Abatement Technologies to UK Industry’, ‘Technical Analysis of CCS Transportation Infrastructure’ and ‘Developing a Regulatory Framework for CCS Transportation Infrastructure (Volume 1 & 2)'. View the DECC press release, the consultation documents, the reports and the CCSA press release.

2 June 2009
Commission to approve OSPAR convention
The European Commission has released a decision draft, proposing to approve amendments to the OSPAR convention. The amendments will legally enable CO2 storage in geological formations in the OSPAR maritime area. A Council decision is expected to be made on behalf of the European Community. View the proposed decision text.

29 May 2009
CCS test unit launched at Longannet
ScottishPower has launched the UK’s first carbon capture test facility at a coal-fired power station. The post-combustion test unit was developed by Aker Clean Carbon and will be able to process 1000 cubic metres of flue gas per hour. It will enable the effectiveness of the chemical amine solution that captures CO2 to be tested under different conditions. ScottishPower’s parent company, Iberdrola, also confirmed that it will create a global Centre of Excellence to develop CCS technology in the UK and announced that it will be funding a Chair in CCS at the University of Edinburgh. View the ScottishPower press release and the Aker Clean Carbon press release.

22 May 2009
WWF report suggests UK CCS demonstrations could increase emissions
A new report from WWF, Carbon Choices – options for demonstrating carbon capture and storage on the UK power sector, concludes that Government risks raising UK CO2 emissions if consent is given to new coal-fired power stations with small-scale CCS demonstration projects. “Building a new power station on the scale of Kingsnorth with CCS technology covering only a small portion of its output, will raise the country’s carbon emissions by millions of tonnes,” says Keith Allott, Head of Climate Change at WWF-UK. ”A much smarter way of demonstrating the technology is to use an existing station that would be running anyway - this would actually reduce our emissions, and would also avoid locking us in to a new generation of polluting coal stations if it turns out that CCS too difficult or expensive.” WWF supports using an Emissions Performance Standard (EPS) to ensure that demonstration projects ultimately lead to full-scale CCS. View the report.

21 May 2009
Committee approves American Clean Energy and Security Act
The Energy and Commerce Committee has approved the American Clean Energy and Security Act. Chairman Waxman said: “This bill, when enacted into law this year, will break our dependence on foreign oil, make our nation the world leader in clean energy jobs and technology, and cut global warming pollution.” The legislation aims to cut emissions by 17% (compared to 2005 levels) by 2020, 42% by 2030 and 83% by 2050. It promotes energy efficiency, clean energy sources (such as CCS) and green jobs. View the press release.

20 May 2009
Canada announces details of C$1 billion clean energy fund
Canada has announced further details of its C$1 billion clean energy fund. The funding includes C$650 million for large-scale CCS demonstration projects, with the rest of the money designated to smaller renewable and alternative energy projects and research into clean energy technologies. The money is part of the two year C$40 billion economic stimulus package, which was announced in the Canadian Budget. View the full story.

18 May 2009
Poland launches energy strategy
The Polish Government has launched a draft energy strategy entitled “Energy Policy for Poland until 2030”. The strategy outlines Polish ambitions for CCS, which includes hosting two large-scale demonstration projects funded by the European Commission. A pilot CCS project is currently being developed in Belchatow and will receive €180 million in funding announced as part of the European economic recovery package. View the full story.

18 May 2009
Commission calls for proposals to gain EEPR funding
The European Commission has launched a call for proposals for projects to receive funding the recently agreed European Energy Programme for Recovery (EEPR). The EEPR includes €1.05 billion for CCS projects. Project promoters have until 15 July 2009 to submit their proposals. The envisaged Community contribution to the UK for CCS under this package is €180 million, with Kingsnorth, Longannet, Tilbury and Hatfield all named as eligible projects. View the press release.

15 May 2009
Steven Chu announces $2.4 billion in CCS funding
The US Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu, has announced that $2.4 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be used to accelerate the commercial deployment of CCS. The US Department of Energy is publishing Notices of Intent to issue this funding, which will allocate $800 million to the Clean Coal Power Initiative, $1.52 billion to large-scale industrial CCS projects, $50 million to characterise a minimum of 10 geological formations and $20 million for geological sequestration training and research. Steven Chu said: "To prevent the worst effects of climate change, we must accelerate our efforts to capture and store carbon in a safe and cost-effective way. This funding will both create jobs now and help position the United States to lead the world in CCS technologies, which will be in increasing demand in the years ahead." View the press release.

14 May 2009
US DOE releases report on potential for CO2 storage
The Office of Fossil Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory has published a new report, entitled Storage of Captured Carbon Dioxide Beneath Federal Lands, as a complementary document to the US Department of Energy’s 2008 Carbon Sequestration Atlas. The report estimates that there is potential to store between 126 and 375 billion tonnes of CO2 under approximately 400 million acres of Federal land. View the press release.

12 May 2009
$2 billion for CCS announced in Australian Budget
The Australian Government has announced $2 billion of funding for industrial-scale CCS projects as part of the Clean Energy Initiative in the 2009-10 Budget. The projects will be part of a CCS Flagships program, which aims to create 1000MW of low emission fossil fuel generation (across a range of capture technologies and storage geologies) and may include a CO2 storage hub. The total available funding for the Flagships program is $2.425 billion over 9 years. The Australian Government considers CCS and solar to be strategic technology priorities. View the press release.

12 May 2009
EPCOR and Siemens sign agreement on IGCC CCS project
Siemens has signed an agreement to provide power generation technology for EPCOR’s Genesee IGCC CCS project. EPCOR is currently undertaking FEED studies into the feasibility of the project, which is also being evaluated to qualify for funding as part of Alberta’s $2 billion program of support for CCS projects. View the full story.

7 May 2009
E.ON and EPSRC announce CCS research funding
E.ON and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) have announced £6.9 million for four university-led CCS research projects. Under the E.ON/EPSRC partnership, a University of Nottingham led consortium will investigate CO2 capture, a Newcastle University led group with investigate CO2 transport in pipelines and Leeds University will lead a project on oxyfuel combustion. EPSRC is also funding a consortium led by the University of Edinburgh, which will investigate improving the economics of large-scale CCS. View the press release.

7 May 2009
PwC survey shows 83% of utilities are considering CCS projects
PricewaterhouseCoopers’ 2009 Utilities Global Survey reveals the extent to which the utilities industry views technology innovation as key to the future, with 83% of respondents from utility companies in Europe reporting that they are evaluating CCS projects. Manfred Wiegand, global utilities leader at PwC said: “It is obvious that it is impossible to invest fast enough in alternative sources of energy to displace the significant contribution that hydrocarbons represent. The development of carbon capture and storage (CCS) in coal burning plant will perhaps be the most critical single development in the power sector in the coming decade. Like renewables, that will require very strong economic incentives and price signals.” The survey also highlights the importance of greater clarity from governments on climate change policies and concern that the economic recession will slow down action to address climate change. View the press release.

6 May 2009
MEPs approve economic recovery plan
MEPs have voted in favour of investing €5 billion in energy projects, broadband internet infrastructure and rural development as part of the EU’s economic recovery plan. The package includes €1.05 billion for CCS projects. The recovery plan lists thirteen CCS projects in seven Member States that can apply for the funding. If funds for CCS projects, gas and electricity infrastructure and offshore wind energy are not committed by the end of 2010 the Commission will declare its intention to propose using them for renewables and energy efficiency measures instead. View the press release.

5 May 2009
EU plans to fund a CCS plant in China by 2015
The European Commission is developing plans to fund a large-scale CCS plant in China. A report following work conducted by the NZEC project will be release in June as is expected to call for the project to be built by 2015. Member States will be asked to contribute to building costs and private companies will also be given incentives to invest. An official said: “We are not looking at the clean development mechanism (CDM) (to attract private investment), but trying to set up a sectoral crediting mechanism.” View the full story.

3 May 2009
Britain to cooperate with China on CCS
Ed Miliband, the Energy and Climate Change Secretary, has said that Britain will share the benefits of its investment in CCS with developing countries such as China. The statement was made during his visit to Beijing to discuss climate change targets ahead of UNFCCC talks in Copenhagen later this year. View the full story.

1 May 2009
North Sea CO2 storage study unveiled
A study into CO2 storage capacity under the North Sea by the Scottish Centre for Carbon Storage, the Scottish Government and industry partners has been released today. The study, entitled ‘Opportunities for CO2 Storage Around Scotland’, finds that there is a capacity for storing at least 4,600 to 46,000 million tonnes of CO2 in saline aquifers and depleted oil and gas fields around Scotland. The Scottish First Minister, Alex Salmond, said: “The conclusions of this study underline just how vast Scotland’s potential in CCS is – we have the capacity to capture safely and store emissions from industrial coal-fired plants for the next 200 years… And the benefits go far beyond our environment. Electricity generated in Scottish power stations which are fitted with carbon capture technology will be comparable in price to energy generation using other low-carbon technology. The development of CCS in Scotland, including power stations and storage networks, has the potential to support 10,000 jobs.” View the press release.

23 April 2009
CCS to be required on all new coal-fired power stations in the UK
In a statement to Parliament today, Ed Miliband (Energy and Climate Change Secretary) set out proposals for the basis on which all new coal-fired power stations will be permitted in the future:
- CCS demonstration must be included. Up to four demonstration projects (including both pre- and post-combustion capture) will be funded by a new levy mechanism. Proposals on how this incentive will work are being developed.
- Full scale retrofit of CCS within five years of the technology being judged to be commercially and technically proven. (This judgement is to be made by the Environment Agency.)
The Government will be seeking views on if an emissions performance standard would be enable this to be implemented. A consultation will be released in the summer. The DECC press release notes that research suggests that carbon abatement technologies could sustain 50,000 jobs by 2030. The potential for CCS clusters and a new future for North Sea industry were also noted. View the DECC press release and the CCSA press release.

23 April 2009
Government response to 'capture-ready' consultation
The Government also published its response to last years consultation Towards Carbon Capture and Storage. Applications to all new gas, oil, coal, biomass and waste-to-energy power stations over 300MW will only be considered if:
- there is sufficient space to retrofit with CCS
- a suitable offshore site to store CO2 has been identified
- a feasible CO2 transport route has been identified
- there are no foreseeable barriers to retrofitting CCS
If all these criteria have been fulfilled then the power station will be considered ‘carbon capture ready’. View the DECC press release and the consultation documents.

22 April 2009
UK Budget 2009
In the Budget today, the Government has announced that it will put a levy mechanism in place to fund up to four CCS demonstration projects, as well as £90 million of funding for engineering and design studies for post-combustion capture coal-fired power stations. CCS is also mentioned in the Budget as a potential beneficiary of reforms announced to remove fiscal barriers to projects that reuse North Sea oil and gas infrastructure for other activities. In the UK’s first carbon budget, a new legally binding target of 34% reductions in emissions by 2020 has been set. Ed Miliband, Climate Change and Energy Secretary, will make a statement in Parliament tomorrow giving more detail on the UK’s plans for CCS. View the Treasury press release, the Chancellor's speech, the DECC press release and the CCSA press release.

16 April 2009
GCCSI launched
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd formally launched the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute (GCCSI) today in Canberra. The Institute aims to accelerate the deployment of CCS and encourage information sharing. It currently has support from 85 members, with more expected to join by 1 July when it becomes a separate legal entity. The CCSA has become a founding member of the Institute. View the press release.

16 April 2009
Conservatives call for at least three UK CCS demonstration projects
In a speech today on ‘Building a Green Technology Recovery’, Shadow Chancellor George Osborne called on the government to announce at least three CCS projects. The report accompanying the speech states that, “The Government should announce that it will use part of its receipts from the EU Emissions trading Scheme to fund the installation of Carbon Capture and Storage equipment and pipeline networks for at least 5GW of new coal-fired power plant. Gordon Brown has failed to grasp the CCS opportunity, by only running one slow and narrowly defined pilot project and passing up any real chance of industry leadership by green-lighting more unabated coal power to be merely 'CCS ready'.” View the speech and the report.

8 April 2009
Commission approves UK aid for feasibility studies on two CCS projects
The European Commission has approved UK aid for the front end engineering and feasibility studies for two post-combustion CCS demonstration projects under EC Treaty state aid rules. View the press release.

6 April 2009
Council adopts CCS Directive
The Council of the European Union has today adopted a climate-energy legislative package. The package includes the CCS Directive (which sets out a regulatory framework for the geological storage of CO2) and the revised Emissions Trading System (which sets aside 300 million emission allowances to contribute to the funding of twelve CCS demonstration projects and innovative renewable energy projects). View the press release (which includes links to the new acts).

6 April 2009
New atlas of South African storage sites
A new atlas of CO2 storage sites in South Africa is being complied and is scheduled to be completed in April 2010. The project, which will cost two million South African rand (equivalent to $220,000), is being overseen by the new South African Centre for Carbon Capture and Storage. The first CO2 injection test in South Africa is planned for 2016, with a full demonstration plant planned for 2020. View the full story.

2 April 2009
New CO2 storage study
A study published today in the journal Nature has found dissolution in water to be the major trapping mechanism for CO2 stored in natural gas fields (rather than mineral fixation). Dr Gilfillan, from the Scottish Centre for Carbon Storage (at the University of Edinburgh), who led the research said: “The study shows that naturally stored carbon dioxide has been safely stored for millions of years, which means that these sort of storage timescales should be achievable for the deliberate sequestration of the gas.” View the full story and the letter in Nature.

31 March 2009
Air Products to play a key role at Schwarze Pumpe
CCSA member Air Products has announced a new agreement with Vattenfall in which the company will install its proprietary CO2 capture, purification and compression system at Vattenfall's 30 MW oxyfuel pilot plant at Schwarze Pumpe in Germany. View the press release.

20 March 2009
EU leaders approve €1.05 billion of funding for CCS
EU leaders have approved €1.05 billion of funding for CCS projects. The money comes from a €5 billion budget surplus. Under the plan Germany, the UK, Poland, the Netherlands and Spain will all receive €180 million each, Italy will receive €100 million and France will receive €50 million. The French project will capture and store CO2 from a steel plant. View the full story, the CCSA press release and the text of the funding proposal from the European Presidency.

17 March 2009
Paul Golby calls for increased government CCS support
In a speech at the Adam Smith Institute, Paul Golby (Chief Executive of E.ON UK) has called for more government support for CCS. He added that E.ON will guarantee to build Kingsnorth with CCS if the Government will pay for it. View the full story and the CCSA press release.

11 March 2009
Commission appoints DNV to accelerate CCS
The European Commission has appointed DNV to accelerate the development of CCS through a knowledge sharing network of CCS demonstration projects. View the press release.

6 March 2009
UK launches vision for a low carbon industrial strategy
The UK Government has today launched its vision of a low-carbon industrial strategy. The website 'Low Carbon Industrial Strategy: A Vision' provides an opportunity to comment on the strategy and will run throughout March, with comments to be reviewed in April. These comments will help to create a comprehensive Low Carbon Industrial Strategy for the UK. Research commissioned by BERR has also been published today, which estimates that an additional 400,000 jobs could be created in the UK’s low carbon and environmental goods and services sector over the next decade. View the DECC press release and the CCSA press release.

5 March 2009
New seismic data from StatoilHydro's Sleipner project
New seismic data from StatoilHydro’s Sleipner CCS project shows that CO2 is not leaking and is spreading through the Utsira formation as expected. View the press release.

3 March 2009
APGTF presentations available
Presentations from the Advanced Power Generation Technology Forum's 9th Workshop are now available online. View the website.

27 February 2009
WWF calls for dramatic increase in CCS R&D funding
As part of a new roadmap to a successful global agreement in Copenhagen, WWF has called for EU financing of technology research and development to be increased by a factor of 10 by 2020, particularly in the areas of CCS, renewable energy and energy efficiency. View the press release.

26 February 2009
RWE npower to treble size of CCS pilot project
RWE npower has announced plans to treble the size of their carbon capture pilot plant at Aberthaw to 3 MW. Construction of the £8.4 million project is due to begin this year. The project is planned to be fully operational by 2010. View the press release.

25 February 2009
Ed Miliband hopes for more than one CCS demonstration project
In his evidence to the Energy and Climate Change Committee, Ed Miliband said "My aspiration is to have more than one demonstration project." View the video.

24 February 2009
EY report highlights extent of investment needed in UK energy supply
Ernst & Young have released a new report, which was commissioned by Centrica, entitled ‘Securing the UK’s energy future – meeting the financing challenge’. The study estimates that the UK energy supply industry will have to invest over £230 billion in new infrastructure by 2025 to address security of supply issues and meet emissions reductions targets. This includes £7.3 billion on coal-fired plants with CCS (3.2 GW by 2025) and £2 billion on CO2 transport infrastructure. View the press release.

23 February 2009
Joint venture between CAS and BP
CCSA member BP and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have officially opened their joint venture Clean Energy Commercialization Centre (CECC) in Shanghai. The CECC will work to commercialise technologies such as CCS. View the full story.

19 February 2009
CO2CRC estimates that CCS costs could be reduced by a quarter
New research from CO2CRC (Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Technologies) suggests that by addressing capture costs the overall cost of CCS could
be reduced by 25%. Through process integration studies, the research team found that estimates of the energy penalty associated with CCS could be significantly reduced. View the press release.

19 February 2009
Siemens and E.ON to build CCS pilot in Germany
CCSA members Siemens and E.ON have announced that they are to jointly build a pilot post-combustion capture plant at E.ON’s Staudinger power plant near Hanau in Germany. The pilot plant is expected to begin operating in the summer this year and will run until the end of 2010. The project is being sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Economics as part of the COORTEC initiative. View the full story.

12 February 2009
£15m for Carbon Abatement Technologies
The Technology Strategy Board, The Northern Way and the Department of Energy and Climate Change are to jointly invest £15 million in development and demonstration of new technologies that reduce CO2 emissions from power stations and large process industries. View the full story.

12 February 2009
National Grid unveils plans for CO2 transport and storage network
CCSA member, National Grid has announced that it is developing plans for National Grid Carbon – a £2 billion CO2 transport and storage network. The network would be developed around the Humber estuary in Yorkshire where several large CO2 sources are located and the company is thought to be in talks with E.ON, Drax Power, Scottish and Southern Energy and Yorkshire Forward. National Grid plans to be ready to operate its first CO2 pipeline system within three years. View the full story.

12 February 2009
Air Products wins Rushlight award
A team led by Air Products (who are members of the CCSA) have won the Rushlight Carbon Capture and Storage Award 2008 for their work on removing impurities in CO2 streams from coal-fired power plants. Other members of the team included Imperial College and Doosan Babcock. View the full story.

11 February 2009
StatoilHydro submits Mongstad plan
CCSA member, StatoilHydro has submitted its plans for CCS at Mongstad to the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy and the Ministry of the Environment (as part of the implementation agreement between the company and the government). The plans describe the facility, technology and the risks associated with achieving full-scale carbon capture. View the full story.

11 February 2009
SECARB begins CO2 injection
The US Department of Energy’s Southeast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (SECARB), which involves several CCSA members, has begun injecting CO2 into coal seams in the Central Appalachian Basin. The aim of the project is to assess the potential for CO2 storage in unmineable coal seams and enhanced coalbed methane recovery. View the full story.

6 February 2009
Aker wins contract to build advanced pilot CO2 capture plant
CCSA member Aker Clean Carbon has signed a contract to build one of the most advanced carbon capture facilities in the industry to date. The company on February 6 signed the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for building the amine plant at the European CO2 Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM) in Norway. The facility is expected to be completed in 2011 and will have a total annual capacity of 100,000 tonnes CO2. Aker Clean Carbon won the contract in an open competition with participants from around the world. Aker Clean Carbon will deliver the technology and sister company Aker Solutions will build the plant, according to a contract between the two Aker-companies. Aker is also taking part in the UK government’s CCS competition in a consortium with ScottishPower and Marathon Oil. View the press release.

6 February 2009
Energy and Climate Change Committee issues calls for evidence
The Energy and Climate Change Committee has today issued two calls for written evidence for forthcoming inquiries into the future of Britain’s electricity networks and the UK offshore oil and gas industry. View the Committee's website.

5 February 2009
UK approves three new gas-fired power stations
Energy and Climate Change Minister Mike O’Brien has today given consent to three new gas fired power stations under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989: RWE npower’s at Pembroke, Powerfuel’s at Hatfield and Centrica’s at King’s Lynn. Each power station has agreed that they will have the necessary space available for retrofitting with CCS. Consent was also granted to Powerfuel to build a second phase at Hatfield, which would consist of an IGCC plant with CCS. This consent is conditional on the company providing evidence to Ministers on the safety of CO2 storage. View the DECC press release.

3 February 2009
EP adopts blueprint for energy strategy in EU
The European Parliament has adopted a report on the Second Strategic Energy Review. It will be included in a European Council debate on the EU’s future energy strategy in March. In relation to CCS the report notes, for example, the crucial importance of developing and deploying CCS in China. It also calls on the Commission “to consider all financial possibilities to build the 12 demonstration projects by 2015”. View the press release and the adopted text.

28 January 2009
EC proposes €1.25 billion of funding for CCS demonstration projects
The European Commission has today presented proposals for €5 billion of investment in energy and broadband infrastructure projects as part of the EU recovery plan. The €5 billion comes entirely from unspent money in the EU budget and a total of €1250 million has been proposed for investment in five CCS demonstration projects. A list of specific CCS projects that could potentially benefit from the money has been drawn up, with an envisaged Community contribution of €250 million for each project. Under the proposal Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain (with Portugal) and the UK will all host a project. The projects listed to potentially receive the funding in the UK are Kingsnorth, Longannet, Tilbury and Hatfield. View the press release and the proposal document.

27 January 2009
Presentations from World Future Energy Summit now available
Jeff Chapman, Chief Executive of the Association, spoke at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi last week. His presentation gave a world outlook on CCS. It was estimated that 16,000 people attended the summit and presentations given throughout the event are now available on the website.

19 January 2009
Zurich Annouces CCS Insurance Policies
Zurich has announced that it will now offer CCS Liability Insurance and Geologic Sequestration Financial Assurance (GSFA). The CCS Liability Insurance Policy covers pollution event liability, business interruption, control of well, transmission liability and geomechanical liability. The GSFA Policy applies to specified closure and post-closure activities.View the full story.

16 January 2009
Conservatives Support CCS in New Policy Paper
The Conservative party have today launched their new policy paper on how to turn Britain into a low carbon economy. The paper states that the UK is uniquely placed to show global leadership on CCS and commented on the UK CCS competition by stating that: “Picking one winner for a small-scale demonstration project reveals a profound lack of ambition and fails to create an adequate framework for the transition to low carbon generation.” The paper recommends using receipts from the auctioning of EU ETS permits to fund the creation of a new CO2 pipeline network, as well as to fund a variety of large-scale CCS demonstration projects. View the paper.

9 January 2009
Nick Otter to head GCCSI
Congratulations to Nick Otter of CCSA member Alstom, who has been appointed as head of the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute (GCCSI). The CCSA is a founding member of the Institute: for further details please see the story below.

9 January 2009
Dutch Government Allocates Funding for CCS
The Dutch government has granted €30 million to CCSA member Shell and a consortium led by GDF-Suez for CCS development schemes. The Shell scheme proposes to capture CO2 from the Pernis oil refinery in Rotterdam for storage in depleted gas fields. The GDF-Suez consortium scheme plans to capture CO2 from an ammonia plant and store it in a depleted coal mine in the Limberg region. View the full story.

7 January 2009
SDC Calls for Emissions Performance Standards
The Sustainable Development Commission has advised the government to introduce Emissions Performance Standards (EPSs) for all new coal and gas-fired power plants. This would effectively ban any new plants being built without CCS. The report from the Commission warns that the carbon price under the EU ETS not be enough to ensure that CCS is deployed. View the full story.

5 January 2009
CCSA Becomes Founding Member of GCCSI
The CCSA has become a Founding Member of the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute. The Association has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Australian Government, saying that it will support the GCCSI in fostering a global portfolio of CCS demonstration projects. The creation of the GCCSI was announced on the 19th September last year, with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd pledging $100 million per year to facilitate CCS demonstration projects as well as identifying further research as necessary. Other Founding Members include Alstom, Shell, Rio Tinto, Mitsubishi Corporation, Schlumberger, Anglo American, Xstrata Coal and the Climate Group. The UK, Norway and South Korea have also all recently announced membership.

1 January 2009
Nottingham Receives Grant for CCS research
The EPSRC has announced that it has awarded the University of Nottingham over £1 million for its Centre for Innovation in Carbon Capture and Storage. View the full story.

 

2008

22 December 2008
CBI Releases Report on the Future of Coal
The CBI has today released a policy paper – The future of coal: securing electricity supply and clean coal technology. The paper describes CCS as vital if coal is to have a long term future and states that more support is needed to commercialise CCS by 2020. According to the paper, the UK could become a world leader in CCS technology and see significant benefits from the industry. However it also says that more than one demonstration project is needed to see this reward and that the UK government should consider financial support for additional UK-based demonstration projects. Investment in these projects, it says, should be sanctioned in 2009 with construction beginning in 2010. View the full story and the report.

20 December 2008
UK Joins GCCSI
The UK has announced that it has joined the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute, along with South Korea and Norway. The announcement was made at an international energy and oil ministers meeting held in London on 19 December to discuss oil price volatility. The important potential of CCS to reduce CO2 emissions was noted during the meeting. In advance of the meeting it was also announced that the UK and Canada have signed a joint statement on CCS, agreeing to share experience and information in order to develop and promote the technology.
Read the DECC press release. View the full GCCSI story and the Canada-UK Joint Statement story.

17 December 2008
European Parliament Approves CCS Directive and Funding
The EU Climate and Energy package was today given the green light as the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favour of all the Directives. This included the CCS Directive, which saw no further changes with 623 votes in favour, 68 against and 22 abstentions. The Parliament also agreed funding of 300 million allowances under the EU ETS would to support the EU CCS demonstration projects. View the full story. The adopted text is available here.

12 December 2008
EU Council Agrees Funding for CCS
EU leaders have today agreed a deal to provide support for the construction of CCS demonstration projects. Following the latest meetings in Europe, the final decision from the EU Council states a figure of 300 million allowances to fund the EU’s 10-12 CCS projects. This figure is an increase from the Council’s draft conclusions to allocate 200 million allowances, which prompted immense pressure from CCS Directive rapporteur Chris Davies, as well as the UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, for the Council to improve its position. The final vote on the 300 million allowances takes place at the next plenary session on the 17th December, as part of the wider vote on the entire EU Climate and Energy Package.
View the conclusions from the EU Council. View the DECC press notice.

11 December 2008
Poznan – Still no Agreement on CCS in CDM
Members of the UN Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA), meeting at the UNFCCC conference in Poznan this week (COP 14), could not reach agreement to include CCS in the Clean Development Mechanism. Further decisions on the involvement of CCS in CDM will therefore be delayed until the UNFCCC COP 15 meeting in Copenhagen taking place next year. View the full story.

10 December 2008
Policy Exchange Releases Report on UK Energy Policy
The think tank Policy Exchange has today released a report entitled ‘Credible energy policy – Meeting the challenges of security of supply and climate change’. The report discusses the pressing need in the UK for energy policy that addresses both security of supply in the UK and meeting climate change objectives. In relation to CCS the report specifically recommends that the Renewables Obligation should be transformed into a Low Carbon Obligation that includes nuclear power and CCS, as well as renewables. Read the full report. The Association welcomed the report with the following press release.

10 December 2008
RWE NPower Announces Joint Venture Entry into UK CCS Competition
CCSA member RWE npower has today announced that it has formed a joint venture partnership with Peel Holdings and Dong Energy to develop a CCS demonstration project as part of the UK CCS competition. If successful in the competition, the project would comprise a 400 MW post-combustion capture facility (as part of a new supercritical coal fired power station) with storage in disused gas fields in the North Sea. View the press release.

10 December 2008
Ed Miliband Speech Recognises Importance of CCS
Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, yesterday described the development of CCS as essential, not just for the UK, but also for the world as a whole. The remark was made as part of a speech at Imperial College entitled ‘The Rise and Fall and Rise Again of a Department of Energy’. He said that proposals on moving towards a low carbon path, including driving CCS, would be published in the New Year. View the speech.

8 December 2008
Shell and Essent to Undertake CCS Feasibility Study
CCSA member Shell has today signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Dutch energy company Essent agreeing to undertake a feasibility study into a 1000 MW power plant with CCS in the Netherlands. The study will assess the possibility of combining a high efficiency gasifier (to convert both coal and solid biomass), a power generation plant and CCS equipment, as well as assessing the suitability of particular depleted oil and gas fields for CO2 storage. View the press release.

8 December 2008
Alstom and PGE Elektrownia Belchatow announce CCS project
CCSA member Alstom announced today that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Polish power generators PGE Elektrownia Belchatow to develop and deploy CCS at the Belchatow power plant in Poland. The project will be carried out in two phases: Alstom will in the initial phase design and build a pilot capture plant (at an existing unit) to be operational in 2011. The second phase will see the two companies construct a larger CCS project expected to be operational in 2015. The project is said to be a candidate for taking part in the EU CCS Flagship Programme. View the press release.

1 December 2008
Shell Acquires Cansolv
CCSA member Shell announced today that they have acquired 100% of shares in Cansolv Technologies Inc. Cansolv offers technology to reduce air pollution, which includes capturing CO2 and scrubbing SO2 from gas streams. Their expertise in carbon capture will allow Shell to further explore and develop post-combustion capture technology. View the press release.

1 December 2008
UKERC Publishes Report on Pathways to a Low Carbon Economy in the UK
The UK Energy Research Council has today published its report ‘Pathways to a Low Carbon Economy: What will it take for the UK?’ The report describes the need for decarbonisation of the electricity sector (through increasingly widespread deployment of coal with CCS, nuclear and wind power) as key to achieving large reductions in emissions. It also stresses that Government support is urgently required for demonstration and commercialisation of CCS and renewable technologies. View the full story.

1 December 2008
Committee on Climate Change Releases First Report to Government
The Committee on Climate Change has today released its report ‘Building a low-carbon economy – the UK’s contribution to tackling climate change’. It recommends the first three UK carbon budgets up to 2022, setting the UK on a path to reaching a target of 80% reductions in emissions by 2050. The report describes CCS as an “essential technology for reducing global emissions” and states that it must be developed rapidly.
View the report. The Association welcomed the report with the following press release.

24 November 2008
DNV Launches JIP for Qualifying CO2 Storage Sites
DNV has launched a joint industry project (JIP) to develop a standard method for characterising, selecting and qualifying both onshore and offshore CO2 storage sites. The outcomes of the JIP will provide guidance on establishing safe, permanent and cost-effective CO2 storage sites. The JIP is open to new participants until the end of the year. View the press release.

13 November 2008
EC launches Second Strategic Energy Review
The European Commission has today launched its Second Strategic Energy Review – Securing Our Energy Future. This energy package recommends a new strategy aimed at increasing energy solidarity between Member States and including stimulus for investment in low-carbon energy networks. Next steps include the development of a Roadmap towards a 2050 energy policy, as part of the Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan, which includes a Communication on Financing Low Carbon Technologies, covering amongst others, ways to support up to 12 large scale CCS demonstrations plants.
View the Strategic Energy Review and associated documents.

12 November 2008
Australian Coal Association Launches CCS Website
The Australian Coal Association has today launched a new interactive website explaining CCS and the ongoing work of the coal industry to develop technologies that reduce carbon dioxide from coal. View the website www.newgencoal.com.au and press release

10 November 2008
ZEP Publishes Report on EU CCS Demonstration Programme
The European Technology Platform for Zero Emission Fossil Fuel Power Plants (ZEP) at their General Assembly, have today unveiled their proposals for the structure of the EU CCS Demonstration Programme. The report details plans that could accelerate the deployment of CCS in the EU by as much as 10 years, with the aim of achieving commercially viable CCS projects by 2020. The report makes detailed suggestions for a portfolio of CCS projects, covering the full range of CCS technologies and fuel sources as well as geography and geologies across the EU.
View the report and associated documents as well as the General Assembly welcome speech by EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs

6 November 2008
New International Centre for CCS
A new international centre for CCS has today been announced by CCSA member Shell and the Government of Saskatchewan. Known as the International Performance Centre for Geological Storage of CO­2, or IPAC-CO2, it is located at the Canadian University of Regina and aims to help make Canada a world leader in the deployment and acceptance of CCS. More specifically, the centre will focus on a variety of issues such as assessing proposed CCS projects, increasing stakeholder and public awareness of CCS and networking internationally to promote research sharing. View the press release.

20 October 2008
IEA Launches CCS Report
The International Energy Agency today launched its new report 'Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage: A Key Carbon Abatement Option'. The report concludes that CCS could deliver cost effective emissions reductions, but this will not be achieved without the willingness of governments and industry to fund large-scale demonstration projects. The report covers, amongst others, a proposed roadmap for CCS to achieve significant emissions reductions, as well as progress on issues such as the legal and regulatory framework. At the launch of the report Nobuo Tanaka, Executive Director of the IEA, said “The window of opportunity is closing for the global community to cost-effectively address climate change. CCS technologies must play a key role, but first they must be proven in the next decade.”
View the IEA website for further details and to purchase a copy of the report

16 October 2008
Ed Milliband Announces 80% Climate Change Target
In his first statement to the Commons as Secretary of State for the newly formed Department of Energy and Climate Change, Ed Milliband outlined the goals of the new Department stating that despite the economic downturn, the UK would not be retreating from climate change objectives. To emphasise this he announced an amendment to the Climate Change Bill to include an ambitious binding target of an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. He also noted the importance of investment in CCS.
View the DECC press release and full Commons statement.
The Association welcomed the statement with the following press release.

3 October 2008
Government Reshuffle and New Department
The Prime Minster has today completed his reshuffle within Government and has simultaneously created a new Department for Energy & Climate Change, with Ed Miliband MP as the Secretary of State. Other appointments include Mike O'Brien MP and Lord Hunt of Kings Heath both as Ministers of State, Department for Energy & Climate Change and Joan Ruddock MP as Under Secretary of State, Deparment for Energy & Climate Change. View the full list of Cabinet Ministers and the BERR press release on the new department or view the website www.decc.gov.uk.

1 October 2008
Drax Signs Contract with Doosan Babcock for Biomass Co-Firing Systems
CCSA members Drax Power and Doosan Babcock have signed a £10 million Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract for the latter to supply biomass co-firing systems to all six coal-fired units at the 4GW Drax Power Station in Yorkshire. The installation is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2009, and thereby - together with Drax’s existing co-firing capability of 500 MWe of electricity – making the co-firing facility the largest of its type in the world. View the website.

23 September 2008
RWE NPower Announces Completion of CO2 Capture Test Facilities at Didcot
CCSA member RWE npower has announced that new CO2 capture facilities at its Didcot power station will be completed in September 2008. The test facility will allow the company to evaluate the capture of CO2 from flue gases after coal combustion and from oxyfuel firing. In addition, the company said that plans to capture CO2 from a commercially operating plant at Aberthaw in South Wales will begin in 2009. View the full story.

16 September 2008
Scottish Power Investigates North Sea CO2 Storage Potential
A consortium led by CCSA member ScottishPower is investigating the possibility of utilising an aquifier under the North Sea identified as having the potential to store Europe entire CO2 emissions for the next 600 years. The consortium is developing the technical aspects of their CCS power station at Longannet, which was a successful pre-qualifier in the UK CCS Competition. View the full story and the press release.

11 September 2008
EC Launches Call for Tender to Establish CCS Project Network
The European Commission has launched a call for tender to establish and run a network of projects to demonstrate the use of CCS technology in power plants. The selection process should be complete by the beginning of 2009. View the press release.

4 September 2008
Doosan Babcock Gains Right to Use HTC Purenergy’s CCS technology
CCSA member Doosan Babcock Energy Ltd has secured the right to use HTC Purenergy Inc.’s carbon capture and storage technology. This agreement will allow it to participate in large projects both in Europe and the US. View the full story.

29 August 2008
RWE NPower Begins Construction of ’Capture-Ready’ Coal Power Plant in Hamm
RWE npower, a CCSA member, has commenced construction of a new 1,600 MW hard coal power plant in Hamm, Germany. The €2 billion plant is expected to be built ‘capture-ready’ with the potential to retro-fit for post-combustion capture and storage of CO¬2 from 2020. View the full story.

29 August 2008
German RWE Plans IGCC Plant With CCS in Huerth
CCSA member RWE npower plans to build a 450 MW IGCC plant with CCS in Huerth, Germany. It will be fuelled by locally sourced lignite with 90% of CO2 emissions being captured and stored in deep saline formations. The estimated cost of the plant is €2 billion, of which half has already been committed by RWE, and the plant is due to be commissioned by the end of 2014. View the full story.

27 August 2008
StatoilHydro to Start Full Scale CCS Operation in 2014
CCSA member StatoilHydro announced a new 280 MW power plant in Mongstad (currently a research centre), which will capture 2.5 million tonnes of CO2 every year when it begins full scale operation in 2014. View the full story.

20 August 2008
EPSRC Issues Calls on CCS
The Engineering and Physcial Sciences Research Council together with E.ON have today issued a call for multidisciplinary consortia looking into research to develop CCS related to power stations. A maximum of £5m will be available for this call and closing date for applications is the 6th November 2008. View the website for more information.

20 August 2008
MHI Signs Contract with Gassnova
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, a CCSA member, has signed a contract to carry out the Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) studies for Gassnova’s planned CCS plant in Norway. The facility is expected to capture 3,000 tonnes of CO2 from an existing 420 MW gas fired power plant in Kårstø. If the FEED study is considered to be qualified, MHI will then take part in the competition to construct the facility. View the full story.

18 August 2008
€40 Million Carbon Capture Research Programme Begins in Norway
Norway has launched a €40 million research and development programme, with the aim of developing more efficient and cost-effective chemical processes for capturing CO2 from process industry and fossil fuel fired power station emissions. SINTEF, The Norwegian University of Science and Technology and CCSA member Aker Clean Coal have all signed up to collaborate on the programme, which will last eight years and operate under the name SOLVit. View the full story.

18 August 2008
Canada’s First Low Carbon IGCC Plant to Use Siemens Coal Gasification Technology
CCSA member Siemens coal gasification technology has been chosen for use in Canada’s first low carbon IGCC power plant. The 250MW plant, planned to be built in Genesee by EPCOR Power Generation is scheduled to come on line in 2015. It is designed to capture around 85% of its CO2 emissions for EOR. View the full story.

15 August 2008
US Department of Energy Announces CCS Funding
As part of its Clean Coal Power Initiative, the US Department of Energy has announced its third round of funding, which is expected to provide up to $340m to selected commercial scale CCS demonstration projects that will commence in 2009. These projects will be run by industry teams and recipients of funding will be required to provide half of the project costs. View the full story.

12 August 2008
US Department of Energy and SWP Begin CO2 Storage Project
The US Department of Energy and the Southwest Regional Partnership (SWP), which includes CCSA members ConocoPhillips, Schlumberger and Shell, have begun a six month demonstration project of injecting CO2 into a coalbed at the San Juan Basin in New Mexico. The project aims to recover methane whilst injecting over 31,000 tonnes of CO2. View the full story.

16 July 2008
US Proposes Rules on CO2 Storage
The Bush administration has set out proposals for new regulations governing the storage of CO2. The regulations, which are likely to be adopted in 2010 or 2011, aim to protect underground sources of water by measures such as extensive testing and site monitoring as well as investigating any CO2 migration and the requirement for sufficient funds to cover the cost of site care, closure and emergency response. View the full story.

10 July 2008
Western Australia Plans Centre for CCS
Plans for a new coal testing and education facility in Collie, Western Australia, are in development. The centre will look at the potential for CCS amongst other research into technologies that emit less greenhouse gases. View the full story.

9 July 2008
G8 Statement on CCS
At the G8 summit held 7-9 July in Hokkaido, Japan, the G8 leaders agreed to "support the launching of 20 large-scale CCS demonstration project globally by 2010". An agreement was also reached to "consider and adopt in the UNFCCC negotiations, the goal of achieving at least 50% reduction of global emissions by 2050".
View the full statement and associated documents.

8 July 2008
Alberta Announces $4bn for Climate Measures
The Government of Alberta today announced a funding amount of $4bn towards their Climate Plan. This includes $2bn along in funding to develop CCS technology.
View the full story.

2 July 2008
IPPR Publishes report on the Future of Coal-Fired Power
The Institute for Public Policy Research have today released their report "After the Coal Rush: Assessing policy options for coal-fired electricity generation" which recommends that the EU should agree a timetable and financing for the goal of 12 CCS demonstration plants by 2015, as well as recommending that the UK should support a second CCS demonstration project and begin planning the infrastructure to transport carbon dioxide to storage in the North Sea.
View the full report and press release.

2 July 2008
Tony Blair Submits Climate Report to G8 Summit
Former Prime Minster Tony Blair published the first Breaking the Climate Deadlock initiative report setting out the framework for a new global climate deal. On CCS, the report states that "It will be very challenging, if not impossible, to hit significant abatement targets without CCS".
View the full report.

30 June 2008
UK Government Launches CCS Consultation
The UK Government today launched their CCS regulatory consultation, covering the regulation of storage sites, capture-readiness and the EU CCS Directive. In addition, the shortlist of pre-qualified bidders for the CCS demonstration competition was also announced, with the winner expected to be named mid 2009.
View the CCS consultation and press release.
The Association welcomed the consultation with the following press release and Incentives position paper.
View the Association's full response to the consultation.

16 June 2008
Cameron Signals Strong Support for CCS
David Cameron today gave the strongest Conservative support for CCS in a speech to environmental leaders, announcing that a Conservative Government will implement a Californian model of an Emissions Performance Standard and utilise revenue from the auctioning of EU ETS allowances "to fund at lease three CCS demonstration projects over the next five to ten years".
Read the full speech.

11 June 2008
EU ETS Directive Draft Report Published
Avril Doyle MEP, the rapporteur for the proposed EU Directive to improve and extend the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, has today published her report on the Directive, which will be submitted to other MEPs for consideration and voting later in the year. In her report, MEP Doyle has proposed various measures to incentivise CCS projects through the EU ETS mechanism. View the full report.

9 June 2008
New Blog on CCS Debates in Brussels
Mark Johnston of E3G has launched his new blog that will report on CCS debates in Brussels. The blog aims to open an effective, independent channel of communication that will reach those with interests in policy and legislation. View the blog.

6 June 2008
IEA Calls for Investment in Clean Energy
The International Energy Agency has today published its report entitled ‘Now or never: IEA energy technology perspectives’, warning that business-as-usual scenarios will result in CO2 emissions rising by 130% and oil demand increases of 70% by 2050. The report contains global roadmaps for development and deployment of key energy technologies in order to either see current emissions levels in 2050 or to achieve 50% reductions on current levels by 2050. The report estimates that on average 35 coal and 20 gas-fired power stations with CCS would be needed every year between 2010 and 2050 amongst other technologies that are all essential to reach the emissions targets. View the press release.

6 June 2008
Yorkshire Forward Published Report on CCS Network
CCSA Member Yorkshire Forward together with several other CCSA members have today released a report concuding the study on how a CCS network for the Yorkshire and Humber region can be developed. The region is home to a number of the UK's largest power stations and, once complete, could store up to 60 million tonnes of carbon emissions from the regions fossil fuel power plants.
View the full report and press release.

5 June 2008
EU CCS Directive Draft Report Published
Chris Davies MEP, the rapporteur for the proposed EU Directive on the geological storage of carbon dioxide, has today published his report on the Directive, where he calls for all existing fossil fuel power plants to be fitted with CCS by 2025 as well as proposing that no new power plants should be built after 2015 that are unable to reduce at least 90% of their carbon dioxide emissions. It is expected that the report will achieve first reading adoption in the plenary debate in September. View the full report.
Chris Davies held a press conference on the 6th May setting out his top priorities for the report and the Association responded with the following press release.

28 May 2008
GE and Schlumberger Sign Carbon Sequestration Alliance
CCSA members GE Energy and Schlumberger have signed an alliance agreement to accelerate the commercial development and deployment of ‘cleaner coal’ technology. The agreement brings together GE’s expertise with IGCC technology and Schlumberger’s expertise on CO2 Storage. GE stated that “Under this new arrangement, our companies will align the technical needs of capture and storage for high operability and work in concert to offer customers a cost effective solution that will provide a complete answer for IGCC with CCS that can be readily implemented under the proper regulatory framework.” View the press release.

18 May 2008
New Website on CCS Regulation in EU and China
The STRACO2 Consortium have today launched their new Project Website, providing a communication platform for their project on CCS Regulation in EU and China. View the website http://www.euchina-ccs.org.

15 May 2008
Shell Joins IEA’s Canadian CCS project
CCSA member Shell has joined several other companies in sponsoring the IEA CCS research project in Canada. The $80 million Weyburn-Midale CO2 Monitoring and Storage Project is in its final phase of investigating the long-term storage of CO2 in mature oil reservoirs. Mr Collyer, President of Shell Canada commented that “This research will further understanding about the safety and effectiveness of long-term underground storage of CO2 and enable the public and regulatory agencies to make informed choices.” View the full story and press release.

6-7 May 2008
DOE Commits Significant Funds for CCS
The US Department of Energy has announced large amounts of funds towards CCS as part of its Regional Sequestration Partnerships and FutureGen Clean Coal Projects. Under its Regional Sequestration Partnerships, $126.6 million has been awarded to the West Coast Regional Sequestration Partnership and the Midwest Regional Sequestration Partnership for the fifth and sixth of seven awards for projects that will test the storage of carbon dioxide. Under the restructured FutureGen project, the DOE has allocated $1.3 billion towards multiple coal-fired power plants with CCS, with projects expected to be selected by December. View the DOE carbon sequestration page, Regional Sequestration Partnership press release, and FutureGen article.

5 May 2008
ExxonMobil Plans to Build CCS Demonstration Plant
The oil company ExxonMobil has today announced a commitment of more than $100 million (£50 million) towards a CCS demonstration project that will remove carbon dioxide from natural gas. The project, to be based in Wyoming, will use a technology entitled Controlled Freeze Zone (CFZ), which freezes and then melts the carbon dioxide, thereby removing other unwanted components as well. The plant is expected to being operation in 2009. View the full press release.

1 May 2008
Scotland Introduces Consent Motion on CCS Regulation
The Scottish Government has today introduced a Legislative Consent Motion to allow a common regulatory framework for CCS to be introduced across the UK. A Memorandum of Understanding will be developed between the UK Government and the Scottish Government to implement the common framework and a consultation on a licensing regime is expected in the summer. View the full press release.

22 April 2008
Carbon Dioxide Injection Begins at Snohvit
CCSA member StatoilHydro today began carbon dioxide injection and storage at the Snohvit field outside Hammerfest, Norway. At full capacity, the project will store 700,000 tonnes of CO2 per year, and represents the second large CCS project in Norway for StatoilHydro after the Sleipner project, which already stores 1million tonnes of CO2 per year. View the full news release.

15 April 2008
Alberta Plans Large CCS Project
A partnership between ARC Resources Ltd and the Alberta Research Council have today announced the start of research into a CCS plant that could store over 1 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide. $1.8 million has been allocated to the research, which will cover 3 phases, the first of which is to investigate the geology of the Redwater reef northeast of Edmonton. View the full article.

11 April 2008
TransAlta and Alstom Agree joint work on CCS Project
An agreement has been signed between TransAlta Corp and Alstom (CCSA member) to develop a large scale CCS project in Alberta. The first phase of the project, will focus on advancing and improving the understanding of CCS technology, and will cost $12 million. Testing is expected to begin in 2012. View the full article.

3 April 2008
Defra Publishes Draft Marine Bill
Defra have today published the draft Marine Bill for consultation - which will close on the 26th June 2008. One of the key issues included in the Bill is the creation of a Marine Management Organisation (MMO) which may impact on CCS legislation. View the draft Marine Bill and associated documents.

2 April 2008
CO2CRC Launches CCS Project in Western Victoria
Australia today launched its first CCS project in Western Victoria as injection of carbon dioxide began at the CO2CRC Otway CCS facility. The project will inject 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide at a depth of 2km and is internationally recognised as a Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum (CSLF) project. Project partners include various public and private organisations, with monitoring technology partly provided by the US Department of Energy. View the full CO2CRC press release and ABC News article.

1 April 2008
EU Framework Programme 6 European Research Area Network Publishes 1st Call for R&D
The FENCO-ERA NET Network, focussed on clean fossil energy, has today launched its first call for Proposals for Collaborative Research Projects on two themes relating to CCS. View the website for more information.

31 March 2008
E.ON Announces Entry into the UK's CCS Competition
CCSA member E.ON has today announced that it will be an entrant into the UK Government's CCS competition. This entry will be based on the proposed Kingsnorth coal-fired power station in Kent, which is planned as two new, more efficient CCS-ready 800MW units. View the full press release.

20 March 2008
RWE Npower Announces CCS Project Partners
RWE npower (a CCSA member) has today announced a partnership with five companies to build its proposed 1MW CCS demonstration project in Wales by 2010, scaling up to a demonstration project of at 100MW as part of a cleaner coal power station at Tilbury. The project partners include BOC, Cansolv Technologies Inc, IM Skaugen, The Shaw Group and Tullow Oil plc, and form part of the proposal for RWE npower's entry into the UK Government's competition to build the first CCS demonstration plant in the UK. View the full press release.

19 March 2008
BERR Co-Sponsors CO2 Storage Database
BERR and the IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D programme have co-sponsored a Features, Events and Process (FEP) database on geological CO2 storage. The database aims to provide a central source of information and to support the long-term safety and performance assessments of such storage. View the full story.

12 March 2008
CCS in UK Budget 2008
The Chancellor has today delivered his first Budget to Government. Chapter 6: An Environmentally Sustainable World gives details of how the domestic Environmental Transformation Fund will be allocated. This contains an allocation to “renewable energy and low-carbon technologies (at least £200m)” which includes CCS. The chapter also states that “BERR will shortly announce a new call for expressions of interest under the Environmental Transformation Fund to support the development of component parts of CCS.” View the full report and press notices.

27 February 2008
Canada Announces CCS Funding in Budget
Canada has announced funding for CCS as part of the Canadian Budget 2008. This includes $240 million for Saskatchewan’s proposed full, commercial scale CCS demonstration project at a coal-fired power station. The province has agreed to share the results of this demonstration with the Canadian Government, other provinces and industry. The Canadian Budget also provides $5 million for geological research into potential storage sites in Nova Scotia and $5 million to the Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy at the University of Calgary to carry out work on the regulatory, economic and technical issues surrounding CCS. View the Budget.

21 February 2008
ZEP Writes CCS letter to EU Commission
The European Technology Platform for Zero Emission Fossil Fuel Power Plants (ZEP) has written to the EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs confirming their belief that a network of CCS demonstration projects in the EU is essential to ensuring that CCS is commercially viable by 2020. The letter also expresses support for the policy direction given by the EC on CCS and states that the companies represented by ZEP are ready to increase investment in CCS provided that appropriate legal and financial frameworks are developed to stimulate deployment of these commercial scale demonstration projects. View the letter.

18 February 2008
Alberta to have widespread CCS by 2015
Alberta’s Environment Ministry expects to see widespread commercial use of CCS in the province by 2015 as a means of addressing the rising emissions due to Alberta’s expanding oil sands industry. Alberta’s plan, announced in January, to halve emissions by 2050 will be achieved largely through use of CCS, and the deployment of CCS in the region will therefore be needed by 2015. Alberta has also announced a CCS council to advise the government and liaise with industry in developing suitable policy and partnerships. View the full story.

30 January 2008
New Report on Business Opportunities in Climate Change
The EEF and Deloitte have today released a report on how climate change is creating billions of pounds in opportunities for manufacturing. The report "Delivering the low-carbon economy: business opportunities for UK manufacturers" estimates that the CCS business could be worth $40bn (£20bn) by 2030.
View the full report and press release.

23 January 2008
EU Commission Releases Energy & Climate Package
The EU Commission have today set out a package of legislative proposals, which will set the path towards an EU- wide cut in carbon dioxide emissions of 20% by 2020. The package covers proposals on a range or measures, including several Directives on; the extension of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, the promotion of renewable energy and CO2 storage, as well as a communication on supporting early demonstration of sustainable fossil fuel power generation.
View the full Energy & Climate Package and associated documents.

10 January 2008
UK Government Publishes Energy Bill
Following the Energy Review 2006 and the publication of the Energy White Paper in 2007, the UK Government have today published their ambitious Energy Bill which, amongst other things, proposes primary legislation to create a regulatory framework for CCS.
View the Energy Bill and associated documents.
The Association welcomed the White Paper with the following press release (pdf)

January 2008
IEA Booklet on Safety of CO2 Storage
The International Energy Agency have published a booklet "Geological Storage of Carbon Dioxide - Staying Safely Underground".
View the booklet (pdf)

 

2007

December 2007
CCSA Publishes Second Issue of "CCSA News"
The Association this month launches the second issue of "CCSA News", reflecting a busy time for CCS since the first issue was launched in May, including new project developments and progress on policy.
Download here (pdf)

17 December 2007
Total to Share CCS Project Data with Indonesia
CCSA member Total has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Indonesia, concerning the company’s CCS project in Lacq, France. Under the agreement Indonesia will have access to data that Total collects from the Lacq pilot project. View the full story.

12 December 2007
North Sea CO2 Transport and Storage Infrastructure Study Published
The North Sea Basin Task Force, comprising of individuals representing the Governments, public and private sectors of the UK and Norway, have today released the report on the work of the North Sea CO2 transport and storage infrastructure study. The study, which was commissioned in June 2006, was produced in association with Element Energy, Poyry Energy and the British Geological Survey.
View the full report.

29 November 2007
G8 Workshop backs Carbon Capture and Storage
A third G8/IEA/CSLF workshop on carbon capture and storage was held in Calgary on the 29th November. The workshop - attended by governments, industry, environmental NGOs and scientific representatives from over 15 countries - agreed a series of recommendations to enable early global deployment of CCS. These recommendations will be presented to the July 2008 meeting of G8 leaders in Japan.
The Association issued a joint press release with the Australian Coal Association and the World Coal Institute welcoming the recommendations. Read here (pdf)

26 November 2007
CBI Publishes New Climate Change Report
Concluding 10 months of work, the CBI Climate Change Task Force have today released the report "Climate Change: Everyone's Business", setting out priority areas for action to enable the UK to meeting carbon reduction targets. Measures include removing carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel power plants, through a greater use of CCS. View the full report.

22 November 2007
Major Science Report on Vital New Technologies
The Council for Science and Technology (CST) have today published the report "Strategic decision making for technology policy" highlighting six key new technologies that are central to the UK's future prosperity, the first of which is CCS.
VIew the full report.

19 November 2007
Prime Minister Launces UK CCS Competition
The Prime Minster, in his speech on climate change to WWF, today launched the UK Competition to build the first commercial CCS project "demonstrating the full chain of CO2 capture, transport and storage". It is estimated that a preferred bidder will be appointed in 2009.
More information and related documents here.

6 November 2007
Queens Speech Announces Forthcoming Energy Bill
The Queen today gave her annual speech to Parliament, setting out the Government's legislative agenda for the next year. Included in the speech is an announcement on the forthcoming Energy Bill, which will "create a regulatory frameork to enable private sector investment in CCS projects". View the Energy Bill brief and associated webpage.

5 November 2007
IPPR Publishes Research Reports on UK Emissions Target
Two new reports simultaneously published today by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) set out the possibility of the UK achieving an 80% cut in CO2 emissions by 2050 and what would be needed to achieve such a cut. The report 80% Challenge: Delivering a low-carbon UK, jointly written by the IPPR, WWF and RSPB looks at domestic measures to achieve the desired cut, including "switching to low-carbon technologies in the electricity sector...alongside a roll out of new Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies". View both reports here.

9 October 2007
Further Details on Government CCS Competition Announced
Alongside the Pre-Budget Report, which was released today, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform today announced further details on the UK Government's Competition to build a CCS plant in the UK (to be launched in November).
View the announcement as well as associated documents on the Competition.
The Association responded with the following press release (pdf)

28 September 2007
Yorkshire Cultivates Green Image
A study into Carbon Capture and Storage in Yorkshire has today been launched by CCSA member Yorkshire Forward. The largest study into CCS in the UK, the steering group consists of key partners BP, Shell, E.ON, Drax and Scottish and Southern Energy and brings together the three coal-fired power stations in the region, Drax, Ferrybridge and Eggborough. View the full article.

27 September 2007
New South Wales to Build CCS Plant
The state government of New South Wales have today announced a new $5 million carbon capture plant to be built on the central coast. The plant aims to pave the way for a much larger $150 million demonstration project, which could capture over 50,000 tonness of carbon dioxide per year.
View the full story.

30 August 2007
Government Publishes Coal Forum Report
The Government have today released a report on the work of the UK Coal Forum from November 2006 to June 2007. The report emphasises the importance of modern coal-fired power, with the ability to make a contribution to security of supply, competitiveness and sustainability. View the full report.

26 June 2007
Green light for CCS as OSPAR Approves Amendment
The last barrier to the storage of CO2 in the sub-seabed was today removed as 1992 OSPAR Convention to protect the marine environment of the North-East Atlantic approved an amendment to allow "all forms of carbon capture and storage (CCS) in sub-seabed geological formations". The amendment was led by the UK, Norway and the Netherlands and follows a similar amendment to the London Convention, which came into force on 1st February 2007. View the full press release.

22 June 2007
Alstom and Statoil to Test new Capture Technology in Norway
CCSA members Alstom and Statoil have today signed a contract to test new chilled ammonia technology for CO2 capture designed by Alstom. The technology is particularly applicable for natural gas combined cycle power plants and will be tested as a 40MW facility at Statoil's Mongstad refinery in Norway. Initially, the facility will capture at least 80,000 tones of CO2 per year, with technological advances leading to development of a larger capture facility able to capture over 2 million tons of CO2 per year. View the full article.

June 2007
North Sea Basin Task Force Publishes First Report
The joint UK/Norway North Sea Basin Task Force, set up in November 2005 has published its first deliverable report on the issues surrounding transport and storage of CO2 under the North Sea. View the full report.

May 2007
CCSA Publishes First Issue of "CCSA News"
One year on from the launch of the CCSA, the Association this month launches the first issue of "CCSA News", covering policy developments in the CCS industry over the past year, as well as an update on the proposed UK CCS projects.
Download "CCSA News" here (pdf)

23 May 2007
UK Government Publishes Energy White Paper
The Department of Trade and Industry has today released the Energy White Paper on behalf of the UK Government. The Paper sets out a strategy to tackle the dual challenges of climate change and ensuring secure, clean and affordable energy for the UK. The Paper also includes further details on the competition, announced in the Budget 2007, to build the first UK CCS demonstration plant. As well as setting out a list of likely criteria against which project proposals will be assessed, the White Paper announced that the competition will be launched in November 2007.
View the Energy White Paper and associated documents
View the DTI press release
View Chapter 5: Electricity Generation (including CCS)
The Association welcomed the White Paper with the following press release (pdf)

21 May 2007
Energy White Paper Expected to Push CCS Forward
The Government is to publish the Energy White Paper on Wednesday 23 May, following the Energy Review released in July 2006. It is expected that the White Paper will include general details on the forthcoming competition to begin construction on the UK's first carbon capture and storage demonstration plant.
View the Association's press statement

17 May 2007
Europe's Largest Clean Coal Project Proposed for Scotland
CCSA member ScottishPower today announced a feasibility study to convert the existing power stations at Longannet and Cockenzie to the biggest proposed clean coal project in Europe. The project would utilise supercritical turbines and boilers designed by CCSA members Alstom Power and Doosan Babcock and the project design will also incorporate carbon capture and storage.
View the full press release

11 May 2007
Australia's Coal Industry Committs to Clean Coal
The Australian Coal Association has today announced that at least $1billion will be raised by the coal industry over the next ten years to develop clean coal technology. This is an extension to the $300 million COAL21 Fund announced in March 2006.
View the full media release

11 May 2007
RWE npower Plans New Clean Coal Power Station
An environmental scoping report has today been submitted to DTI by CCSA member RWE npower, to build a new 2400 MW clean coal power station in place of the power station at Blyth. In addition to reducing carbon dioxide by three million tonnes per year, facilities for burning biomass will be included in the design, as well as capture-ready technology.
View the full press release

1 May 2007
Victorian Budget Highlights CCS
The 2007-08 Victorian State Budget has today been released, allocating $50 million to tackling climate change. Specific funds of almost $3.8 million over the next 3 years will be spent on a trial CCS project in the Otway Basin and the establishment of a Clean Coal Authority.
View the full media release

April 2007
UCL Launches Legal Project on CCS
The UCL Centre for Law and the Environment will this month launch a major initiative on the legal aspects of carbon capture and storage. The project will operate through a website, which will be a freely-available resource designed to promote discussion and identify legal developments in the UK and internationally.
More information here

21 March 2007
Budget 2007 Clears the Ways for UK's First CCS Plant
The Chancellor today delivered his 11th and likely final budget, setting out an ambitious scenario for the future of Britain's economy. Aspiring to be a world leader on CCS, Gordon Brown announced that the government "will launch a competition to develop the UK's first full-scale demonstration of carbon capture and storage". Further details of this competition will be announced in the Energy White Paper, expected in May.
View the Budget 2007 and associated documents.
View the DTI press release.
The Association welcomed the government's announcement with the following press release CCSA Budget 2007 Press Release 21 March 07.pdf

19 March 2007
Environmental Audit Committee Publishes Fourth Report
The findings of the Environmental Audit Committee's Inquiry into the Pre-Budget 2006 and the Stern Review have today been published. The Association provided written evidence to this Inquiry.
View the report here.

13 March 2007
Government Lays out Blueprint for Tackling Climate Change
The UK Government have today published the ambitious draft Climate Change Bill and strategy, setting out a framework for the move to a UK low-carbon economy. The draft bill includes a legally binding target for reducing carbon dioxide by 60% by 2050, as well as 3 five-year carbon budgets to provide long-term industry certainty to enable investment in low-carbon technologies such as carbon capture and storage. The draft Bill is open to open to public consultation, closing date for comments is the 12th June. Download the Climate Change Bill, consultation document and associated documents here.

13 March 2007
RWE npower Plans Clean Coal Power Station
Plans to build a new 1600MW clean coal power station has today been announced by CCSA member RWE npower, to replace the existing coal-fired power station in Tilbury, Essex. Estimated to be operational by 2013, the power station will cost over £1bn and will be designed to incorporate carbon capture and storage as well as facilities for burning biomass, thereby reducing carbon dioxide by almost two million tonnes per year. View the full press release.

6 March 2007
Launch of EU ETS Manifesto
Government, Business and NGO's have today launched the UK manifesto on the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, setting out the ambition for the development of the EU ETS after 2012. The manifesto, signed by over 40 businesses including the CCSA, aims to give the EU ETS a long term framework, enabling investment security in the carbon trading market.
View the manifesto and signatories.

8 February 2007
Total Announces first Integrated CCS Project in France
The oil and gas group, Total, have today announced the launch of a carbon capture and sequestration pilot project in southwestern France. The project will use oxy-fuel combustion and will inject almost 150,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide into a depleted hydrocarbon field. View the full News Release.

2 February 2007
IPCC Releases 4th Assessment Report
Concluding the 10th Session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Working Group I in Paris last week, the IPCC has adopted the Summary for Policymakers of Climate Change 2007: The Physcial Science Basis, setting out the scientific background to climate change, its changes and causes, as well as future projections for further changes. View the Summary.

10 January 2007
European Commission Unveils Strategic Energy Review
EC President Jose Manuel Barroso today published the European Commission's Strategic Energy Review, setting out a radical energy policy for EU with the objective of a sustainable, competitive and secure supply of energy. The Review sets an EU target for a 20% cut in carbon emissions by 2020 (below 1990) and proposes a global target for all developed countries of 30% in the same period. In terms of carbon capture and storage, the Commission will design a mechanism to ensure that by 2015, 12 sustainable fossil fuel power plants are in operation, as well as a proposal that all new coal-fired plants built after 2020 should include carbon capture and storage.
View the Strategic Energy Review and Associated Documents.

January 2007
New Database of Developments Towards 2050
The DTI Office of Science and Innovation's Horizon Scanning Centre have commissioned two new databases; Delta Scan and Sigma Scan. The latter contains a number of Issue Papers describing trends, emerging issues and developments for the next 50 years, which could affect the future of the UK. View the Issue Papers on Carbon Capture and Storage;
Clean, green machines: The advent of the carbon-lite economy
Emission suppression: Reducing carbon emissions through sequestration

 

2006

6 December 2006
Disappointing News for CCS in Pre-Budget Report
The Chancellor today released his Pre-Budget Report (PBR), setting out the objectives behind the UK's budget for the coming year. The PBR contained no commitment for an incentives package to support new CCS projects, and announced that the Government will "tender for consulting engineers to ensure that the Government's understanding of the costs of CCS plant based in the UK is robust", and to help Government assess which measure should be created to support a demonstration project. A decision to build a demonstration project will be taken in 2007 following a second consultation. View the PBR and associated documents here.
The Association have issued a press release CCSA HMT PBR Press Release 6 Dec 06.pdf

4 December 2006
UK Cross-Party Committee calls on Chancellor to Increase Funding for CCS and Renewables
The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has today published a letter sent to the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, asking for increased funding for research and development in carbon capture and storage and renewables, as well as tax incentives for energy efficiency. View the full letter.

December 2006
New Report on Capture-Ready Plant
As part of the work under the DTI Carbon Abatement Technologies Programme, DTI and the Institution of Chemical Engineers have published the report "Survey of Power Station Contractors", setting out findings from a survey of 10 UK contractors to determine their willingness to establish carbon dioxide capture-ready power plant. Read the full report.

December 2006
'Bridging To The Future' Newsletter No.6 Published
Vattenfall have published their latest issue of their newsletter covering their R&D work for a carbon dioxide free power plant. More information on the project can be found on the website. Read the Newsletter.

8 November 2006
Centrica Enters Agreement with Progressive Energy on Clean Coal Project
The UK's first complete clean coal power plant is one step further in development, as Centrica today announced an agreement with Progressive Energy to build a Clean Coal power station in Teesside, UK- the first project to combine Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) and Carbon Capture and Storage technologies. Centrica will obtain a per cent interest in two new joint companies; development company Coastal Energy and Coots Limited, a carbon dioxide pipeline company, that together will obtain the rights to construct the power station. View the full press release.

8 November 2006
Major Step for CCS as CO2 Storage is approved under London Protocol
Carbon Capture and Storage received a significant boost last week when an amendment to the London Convention was passed, allowing carbon storage in sub-seabed geological formations. The first meeting of Contracting Parties to the London Protocol took place from 30 October to 3 November and the amendment will enter into force 100 days after adoption- 10 February 2007. View the IMO press briefing.

3 November 2006
New Report Outlines Solutions to CDM Barriers to CCS
The International Energy Agency has this wek published the draft report "Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage in the Clean Development Mechanisms, Possibly Approaches to CDM Methodology Issues", addressing the issues for CCS to be allowed under the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism. The next COP/MOP meeting of the UNFCCC in Nairobi, starting next week, is expected to reach a decision on whether CCS will be allowed under the CDM. If allowed, CCS projects in developing countries could generate credits already in the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, 2008-2012.

November 2006
UKERC Publishes CCS Workshop Report
Following the workshop "Carbon Capture and Storage Opportunities in a New Europe" on the 27th September, the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC), together with the British Geological Survey, have published a summary report of the workshop, covering the presentations given at the workshop as well as the open discussion. View the report and further details of the workshop here.

30 October 2006
Stern Review Recognises Importance of CCS
HM Treasury has today published the much-awaited "Stern Review: The Economics of Climate Change" commissioned by the Chancellor last July and carried out by Sir Nicholas Stern. As expected, the report concludes that the damage of climate change could cost 20% of GDP or more, whereas the cost of taking action now could be close to 1% of GDP per year. The review emphasises the importance of carbon capture and storage, as an essential technology to "reconcile the use of coal with the emissions reductions necessary for stabilising greeenhouse gases in the atmosphere" given that cheap fossil fuels, particularly coal, will continue to play a significant role in the global mix, especially in fast-growing economies. View the full report, press release and supporting documents here.

28 October 2006
US Announces $450 million for Coal Research
US Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman has announced a grant programme of $450 million (euro 355 million) over the next 10 years towards research into "technology that would lessen the environmental impacts of coal use". The Department of Energy has recognised that carbon capture and storage could play a significant role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and ensuring the "continued environmentally responsible use of coal". View the full article.

25 October 2006
Australia gives major funding boost for CCS project
Australia has today announced the first two projects under a new $500 million Low Emissions Technology Demonstration Fund (LETDF). A $360 million pilot brown coal drying and post-combustion carbon capture and storage plant has been allocated $50 million, as one of the two projects to receive support under the Victorian state government fund. Read the full story.

25 October 2006
Proceedings from the 2nd IEA/CSLF Workshop on Legal Aspects of Carbon Capture and Storage
Following the first workshop in July 2004, the International Energy Agency and Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum held a second Workshop in Paris on 17 October 2006. View the proceedings including a discussion paper for comment.

24 October 2006
World Business Comes Together on Sustainable Development
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) today released the report 'Powering a Sustainable Future', part of the second phase of the WBCSD Sector Project on Electricity Utilities set up in 2005. The report sets out an "agenda for concerted action" on issues of electricity generation, including security of supply, power to the people and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. As well as a number of 'Facts and trends' on key power technologies covered in the report, the project has also produced more detailed Issue briefs on the technologies, one of which is Carbon Capture and Storage. Download the report and associated documents.

19 October 2006
2nd Issue of World Energy Book Published
Following the publication of the 1st issue of the World Energy Book in Autumn 2005, the World Energy Council have today published the 2nd issue. The latest issue includes an article on Carbon Capture and Storage; "CCS: research is not enough". Download both issues of the book.

18 October 2006
Defra Publishes Marine Bill Newsletter
The fourth issue of the Marine Bill Newsletter was published today, setting out a short summary of responses to the Government's Marine Bill Consultation. Download the latest issue and past issues.

12 October 2006
EU wants to fast-track clean coal technology
The second plenary meeting of the Fossil Fuels Forum held on 10 October in Berlin came to an agreement that "new coal-fired power stations should anticipate the arrival of CO2 capture and storage" as early as 2010, and should be built as 'capture-ready' enabling later retrofitting of CCS. The Forum, which is made up of stakeholders in the coal industry and the EU Commission, agreed that new EU policies are urgently needed to fast-track commercial demonstration of Carbon Capture and Storage technologies. View the full article.

11 October 2006
E.ON UK plans to Build new Supercritical Coal-Fired Units
Plans for the UK's first 'supercritical' coal-fired power plant have been submitted by E.ON UK. The two 800MW coal-fired units would be built next to E.ON's existing coal plant at Kingsnorth in Kent, which is due to close by 2015. In addition to saving 2 million tonnes of carbon emissions each year compared with the existing plant, the units would also be designed as capture-ready to enable Carbon Capture and Storage technology to be fitted at a later date. View the full press release.

6 October 2006
CCS Could be Exempt from the EU ETS from 2008
A UK ministry official has today announced that storing carbon underground may become economical under the second phase of EU Emissions Trading Scheme (2008-12). At present, any fossil fuel plant using CCS to reduce its emissions, would be treated as if the stored CO2 were emitted. Defra officials are in discussions with the European Commission to ensure that such plant will be "treated fairly treated in phase 2, in some way recognising the storage element". In the UK, an exemption could apply to some or all the six proposed CCS projects, generating a total of 4 GW of electricity. View the full story.

6 October 2006
Large Amount of Carbon Dioxide Storage Capacity found Underground in Kentucky
Conclusions of a 3-year research project at the University of Kentucky has found that Devonian black shales, organic-rich rocks found underneath a large part of Kentucky, could provide "a potentially large geological reservoir for capture CO2". The research further concluded that as much as 28 billion tonnes of injected CO2 could be sequestered with an additional value of enhancing natural gas recovery where injection occurs in gas-producing shales. Download the full article.

6 October 2006
Emphasis on Benefits of Carbon Capture and Storage
Reuters have published two articles on CCS. The first 'Analysis Carbon Capture: Climate Saviour?' focuses on the ability of CCS to become "humanity's number one weapon to fight global warming" whilst the second article 'EU-wide carbon capture incentive' discusses the move to include CCS in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.

October 2006
New Journal from the Institution of Civil Engineers
A new journal for 2007 entitled 'Energy' is to be published by ICE. The journal will aim to cover "all aspects of the planning, design, construction, maintenance, operation and decommissioning of projects for the generation, conservation, distribution and more efficient use of energy". VIew the website and call for papers.

October 2006
New HFCCAT Demonstration Programme to go Live
The Government launched the £50m Hydrogen and Fuel Cells, Carbon Abatement Technologies (HFCCAT) Demonstration Programme on the 19 September 2006, with a speech by The Energy Minister, Malcolm Wicks. The programme is designed to demonstrate technologies that significantly reduce the carbon emissions associated with burning fossil fuels. The first call begins on the 23 October. For further details, key documents and events, visit the website www.hfccat-demo.org. View a 2-page update on available funding for CAT technologies HFCCAT Summary of programme for CAT Oct 06.doc.

October 2006
Second IEA Workshop on Carbon Storage
The IEA are holding the "2nd IEA Workshop on Legal Aspects of Storing CO2" in Paris on the 17 October 2006, in association with the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum. View the agenda and contact details.

29 September 2006
PWC Report: Cabon Capture is Key to Fight Emissions Rise
The new report entitled "The World in 2050: Impact of global growth on carbon emissions and climate change policy" focuses on two out of 6 scenarios, a baseline 'business as usual' scenario and a 'Green Growth + CCS' scenario. The report concludes that the baseline scenario could result in more than a doubling of global carbon emissions by 2050, whereas the 'Green Growth + CCS' scenario, which assumes a widespread use of CCS technologies, would stabilise CO2 concentrations to current acceptable levels for 2050.
Read the report

25 September 2006
Worlds first Oxy-Fuel Clean Coal Retrofit scheme announced
Jupiter Oxygen, together with the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority and Orrville Utilities, have today announced plans to commence work on the first oxy-fuel clean coal plant. The new plant will be a retrofit of an already operating electric power plant in Ohio, USA. As well as being designed as CO2 capture ready, the plant will also meet 2020 goals for emissions of mercury, NOx, SOx and particulates. View the full press release.

September 2006
Documents and Presentations from the ETP ZEP General Assembly
The European Technology Platform for Zero Emission Fossil Fuel Power Plants (ETP ZEP) held its first General Assembly on 12-13 September in Brussels. The General Assembly proved a successful event, with the adoption of both the Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) and the Strategic Deployment Document (SDD).

The ETP brings together the European Commission, the European energy industry, research community, and non-governmental organisations, and its goal is to the develop and deploy new competitive options for Zero Emission Fossil Fuel Power Plant.

The full programme and presentations of the General Assembly can be viewed here. Download the latest drafts of the SRA and the SDD documents.

14 September 2006
DTI Launches New Energy Technologies Institute
The DTI have today published the prospectus for the planned Energy Technologies Institute, inviting expressions of interest from the private sector to participate in setting up the Institute. The Government have committed £500m to the Institute which will focus on R&D projects "including R&D in support of demonstration and eventual deployment".

Further information on the following webpage and full DTI press release.

27 July 2006
Miliband Calls for Ideas on EU ETS post-2012
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has sent out a letter requesting ideas and suggestions on the long-term design of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) post-2012.
Read the letter SoS Future EU ETS manifesto July 2006.doc
Read the CCSA response EU ETS Milliband Letter.doc

26 May 2006
Member Meeting of the CCSA
The CCSA held the first full members meeting of the Association on the 19th May. See members area for agenda & meeting minutes.

24 March 2006
Energy Review Stakeholder Seminar on CCS
The DTI held its 8th Energy Review stakeholder seminar in Middlesborough on Carbon Capture and Storage. Hosted by Malcolm Wicks, the seminar covered the potential role for CCS in the UK's long term energy policy as well as solutions, barriers and timescales for CCS deployment.
Read the seminar Summary, List of attendees and Presentation by Paul McIntyre.