03.08.2022

CCSA Blog: CCUS in the Energy Bill – Why policy is key to delivering Net Zero, by Joe Butler-Trewin

During my first week with the CCSA, London was baking in 40-degree heat. This followed a trend of ever-increasing global temperatures. I could not help but think that while I sweltered on my commute, this should come as a stark reminder that our planet needs help.

My background is strategic communications campaigns and public relations. Having previously worked for an MP with a focus on green industrialism and climate protection, I am incredibly excited to join the CCSA as their new Communications & Public Affairs Officer.

I was pleased, on my first day no less, to be reading the Government’s Energy Security Bill, and preparing for its 2nd Reading in the House of Lords. One of the key aims of the bill is to accelerate the growth of carbon capture and storage by putting in place enabling powers for the setting up and scaling up CO2 transport and storage networks across the UK. This a big step forward towards delivery of the UK’s Net Zero Strategy, which relies on the CCUS industry to capture and store over 50 million tonnes by 2035 if the UK is to remain on track to reach Net Zero emissions by 2050.

The potential of CCUS to not only help protect the environment but also to create approximately 10,000 high skilled jobs and protect up to 50,000 traditional, heavy industry careers by 2050. It’s great to see that the bill will work to incentivise businesses to build and operate CCUS initiatives by using business models such as capital and operational support funding. However, a clear deployment plan, setting out how revenue support contracts will be awarded is needed as soon as possible to maintain the level of Industry investment in project development required to meet 2030 deployment targets.

As laid out in our CCUS delivery plan 2035, the CCSA believes that an accelerated capture and storage build out rate should be pursued to reduce deployment costs and exploit the supply chain and export opportunities arising from this new global industry. The Energy Bill is a strong step from Government in establishing the UK as a global leader of CCUS and a champion of Net Zero energy and clean manufacturing – saving the planet can be good for the economy too!