Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage - CCS in the global context

Carbon dioxide capture and storage technologies are recognised by the Kyoto Protocol as a mitigation option. CCS has been on the negotiating table since the IPCC Special Report on CCS was published in 2005. Since then, ECN policy studies has been involved in a number of projects concerning the inclusion of CCS in the global climate regime, and contributes to a wide range of debates which govern how CCS will evolve on an international level.

Recent projects

• UNIDO/IEA Global Technology Roadmap on CCS in industrial sourcs
  ECN is the principal consultant for a Global Technology Roadmap, coordinated by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the International Energy Agency. The Roadmap will look into what steps are needed for the deployment of CCS in industrial processes with a focus on developing countries.
• CCS Africa 2: CCS in Southern Africa
  This recently announced CCS Africa project aims to raise awareness of CCS, and Increase the technical and regulatory capacity regarding CCS in the Southern African countries of Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique and South Africa.
• CATO-2, WP2.3 International CCS Policy
  In this work package of the Dutch national CCS demonstration project, ECN is investigating the role of CCS in international climate policies. The project also involves exploring the potential for CCS deplyment in developing countries, using a marginal abatement cost curve to identify the lowest cost opportunities.
• GCCSI CCS-Readiness Project
  In 2009, ECN has been working as part of a consortium led by ICF International, to define and discuss the concept of CCS-readiness. The project is funded by the Global CCS Institute. As part of the project, roundtables have been organized in Washington, Amsterdam and Beijing, attended by experts and stakeholders. The resulting discussion paper and best practice guidelines address the technical, economic and regulatory issues relating to CCS-readiness. 
• IPCC Special Report CCS
  The IPCC Special Report on CO2 capture and storage was published in 2005 and is still the most-used publication on CCS. ECN coordinated the full report and contributed to the contents of the report.

Related publications

• CCS in the CDM: potential and issues, June 2011.
• CCS-Africa: findings and further steps, June 2011.
• An International Relations perspective on the global politics of carbon dioxide capture and storage, May 2011.
• Potential impacts of CCS on the CDM. April 2011.
• Role of CCS in the international climate regime. April 2011.
• CCS in Southern Africa. An assessment of the rationale, possibilities and capacity needs to enable CO2 capture and storage in Botswana, Mozambique and Namibia. July 2010
• UNIDO publishes background paper for its Global Technology Roadmap on CCS in industry
• Advocacy for carbon capture could arouse public distrust. Letter to the Editor of Nature, January 2010.
• Global learning on carbon capture and storage: A call for strong international cooperation on CCS demonstration. January 2009.
• Progress on including CCS projects in the CDM: Insights on increased awareness, market potential and baseline methodologies. November 2009.
• How to include CCS in the CDM? Baseline methodologies and institutional implications. Part A: Dilemmas in baseline methodologies. Part B: Illustrative baseline methodologies. November 2008.
• CO2 capture and storage (Breaking the Climate Deadlock Briefing Paper). August 2008.
• The international race for CO2 capture and storage: And the winner is...?  June 2008.
• Trojan horse or horn of plenty? Reflections on allowing CCS in the CDM.
  March 2008.

Presentations

ECN Policy Studies regularly provides capacity building and insights on international issues on CCS in various parts of the world. An overview of presentations:

• November 2009 – OPEC-IEA GHG CCS Workshop, Algeria – Overcoming barriers to CCS: public perception and finance – Heleen de Coninck
• November 2009 – Promoting climate technology and carbon market partnerships. Workshop organised by SIDA, Lund University and the Botswana Innovation Hub, Gaborone, Botswana – Essentials of CO2 capture and geological storage – Heleen de Coninck
• September 2009 – World Bank workshop on CCS capacity building, Washington DC – Considerations for CCS capacity building in developing countries – Heleen de Coninck
• November 2008 – GHGT9, Washington DC – Is the love affair between CCS and the CDM over? A progress report – Heleen de Coninck, Stefan Bakker, Heleen Groenenberg
• November 2008 – GHGT9, Washington DC - Progress on including CCS projects in the CDM: Insights on increased awareness, market potential and baseline methodologies – Heleen de Coninck
• January 2008 – DEFRA/IRADe international workshop on CCS in India, Delhi – The IPCC on Co2 capture and storage – Heleen de Coninck
• December 2007 – COP13 Side-event European Commission, Bali, Indonesia – Regulating the risks of CCS in the EU – Heleen de Coninck, Paul Zakkour.

Contact person: Tom Mikunda