Carbon Capture and Storage Association welcomes Royal Assent for the Energy Bill

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE [26 October 2023] 

• The Energy Bill will stimulate investments in clean technologies such as carbon capture and storage, overhaul the UK’s energy system, ensure consumer protection, and maintain the national energy infrastructure’s safety, security, and resilience. 
• The Carbon Capture Storage Association welcomes a new Ofgem duty to consider the UK’s net-zero target after campaigning for the change to the Bill. 

The Carbon Capture and Storage Association (CCSA) welcomes the Royal Assent of the Energy Bill today, the first major legislation enabling net zero technologies such as carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) for over a decade.  

The new Energy Act aligns UK legislation with global sustainability goals by leveraging investments in clean technologies, reforming the energy system to protect consumers, and enhancing safety and resilience. The CCSA strongly supported the legislation as it is critical to the race towards net zero.  

Following a campaign to amend the Bill by the CCSA on behalf of the industry, Ofgem now has a duty to prioritise the UK’s net zero target. This is a significant step towards giving the regulator the right powers to balance the needs of current and future transportation of CO₂, which is necessary to achieve the government’s goal to capture and store 20-30 million tonnes of CO₂ annually by 2030.  

Olivia Powis, UK Director at the CCSA said: 

“The CCSA welcomes Royal Assent for the Energy Bill, which provides the enabling legislation for CCUS business models, and builds on significant progress for the technology this year. 

To fully capitalise on this opportunity, we encourage the Government to commit to timely cluster delivery, a transparent deployment plan to 2035, streamlined permitting processes, a robust supply chain and enhanced public support. 

Measures in the new Energy Act will enable us to unlock the full potential of CCUS and further advance our nation toward a cleaner, more sustainable future, helping to ensure the UK’s Green Economy has the opportunity to lead the next Industrial Revolution.”

Ends  

Notes to Editors   

CCUS, or Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage, is a key low carbon solution – vital to meeting the UK’s statutory Net Zero target at least cost. CCUS enables the production of clean power, clean products (such as steel and cement) and clean hydrogen – which can then be used to decarbonise heating and transport. In addition, CCUS also enables greenhouse gas removal from the atmosphere through Direct Air Capture with Storage (DACS) or Bioenergy with CCS (BECCS).     

The CCSA is the trade association promoting the commercial deployment of CCUS. We work with members, governments and other organisations to ensure CCUS is developed and deployed at the pace and scale necessary to meet net zero goals and deliver sustainable growth across regions and nations.   

The CCSA currently has 116 member companies who are active in exploring and developing different applications of carbon capture, CO₂ transportation by pipeline and ship, utilisation, geological storage, and other permanent storage solutions, as well as members from management, legal and financial consulting sectors.   

For media enquiries, please contact public.affairs@ccsassociation.org  or Joe Butler-Trewin at joe.butler-trewin@ccsassociation.org / 07908141067 

To find out more about the Carbon Capture Storage Association (CCSA) please visit the CCSA website at http://www.ccsassociation.org/