ECN: CCS in het mitigatieportfolio

ECN

Carbon dioxide capture and storage - CCS in the mitigation portfolio

TIAM-ECN results for the global cumulative amount of captured CO2 between 2010 and 2040, by energy technology to which CCS is applied, for different values of the climate forcing target and CO2 storage availability. From Keppo and van der Zwaan, 2011.

While lower energy consumption and renewable energy technologies are fundamental to establishing a sustainable long-term energy supply, CCS also plays an important role in most recent climate change mitigation scenarios. The debate and academic discussion continues regarding the extent to which CCS could and should be implemented, in particular from a long-term perspective. Should CCS only function as transition technology or, alternatively, as permanent solution to the climate problem. Could CCS crowd out the deployment of renewable technologies? These are the types of questions assessed at ECN. It also remains questionable whether CO2, once injected underground, will remain there indefinitely. Research has been conducted at ECN with regards to the potential role of CCS in long-term energy and climate scenarios, including such aspects as environmental externalities and the economic and environmental impacts of different CO2 leakage rates and profiles. At present the TIAM-ECN model is particularly suited, amongst others, to analyze long-term scenarios for CCS under varying assumptions regarding future climate policies, CO2 storage potentials and oil prices (see figure).

Recent projects

  • PLANETS
    The scope of this FP7 research project (2007-2010) was to devise robust scenarios for the evolution of low carbon energy technologies over the next few decades. A suite of six energy-economy-climate models were used to analyze the implications of climate policies under a wide set of assumptions about national commitments and the use of international carbon off sets. The work under the PLANETS project focused in particular on uncertainties, regarding both the future evolution of climate policies and the prospects of key carbon mitigation technologies. Several modeling exercises and techno-economic assessments focused in particular on CCS.
  • TranSust.Scan
    The focus of this research project is to scan a wide range of policy scenarios as to their relevance for the European Sustainable Development Strategy in view of Extended Impact Assessment. Embedded in the TranSust network of researchers, with its expertise in modelling the transition to sustainable economic structures, the project links and expands an extensive set of available models. ECN contributes to this project through the use of the Markal model.
  • National Projects
    The Dutch government has recognised that in addition to improvements in energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy, CCS must also play an important role in meeting national climate targets.

Completed projects are listed in the project archive.

  • CASCADE MINTS
    Technological developments are being analyzed in a range of existing operational energy and energy/economy models. ECN has led a consortium that aims to build analytical consensus concerning the impacts of policies at sustainable energy systems. One of the foci in the project was the comparison of policy approaches to achieve significant CO2 emission reductions through CCS. 

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