Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage - Legislation and policy

Although CCS has the potential to become a cost effective mitigation solution compared to other options, CCS technologies are expensive, and are additional requirements to current power generation and industrial production processes. Because of a lack of financial incentives for emitters to reduce carbon dioxide, there are currently few business cases for CCS. ECN has participated in projects to advise governments on developing effective strategies for stimulating the deployment of CCS. 

Before CCS can be deployed as a climate change mitigation option, national and international regulatory frameworks must be established. ECN Policy Studies has contributed to a number of projects focusing on the regulation of CCS, including aspects of safety, monitoring and license concession. Furthermore, members of ECN Policy Studies have been involved in extended impact assessments of different policy and regulatory options for an enabling framework for CCS, which acted as key input material for the European Union directive on the geological storage of carbon dioxide, finalized in 2009.

Recent projects

• CATO-2 (2009-2013)
  This project is the Dutch national CCS programme. The project aims to realize two large scale CCS demonstration plants in the Netherlands by 2015. The consortium includes almost 40 partners, and the work packages that are intended to support the successful deployment of the demonstration plants, covering policy, legislation, technology development, safety and environmental impacts. ECN has been appointed as the coordinator of Sub-Programme 4 Regulation and Safety which includes the work packages of:
  • WP4.1 Legal framework & guidance
  • WP4.2 Permitting and best practices
  • WP4.3 Environmental performance
  • WP4.4 Risks of CO₂ transport
  • WP4.5 Risks of CO₂ storage
• CO2ReMoVe (2007-2011)
  For CCS to qualify as a sound climate change mitigation option, a basis for monitoring and verification is needed. This will provide assurance of long-term storage and establish standardized site certification guidelines. ECN participates in a consortium of industrial, research and service organizations to develop both tools and guidelines for monitoring and verification.
• Monitoring and reporting guidelines for CCS in the EU ETS (2008)
  The inclusion of CCS in the EU ETS has led to the requirement for monitoring and reporting guidelines for prospective CCS deployment operating within the EU ETS
• North Sea Basin Task Force (NSBTF)
  The NSBTF is a small group of individuals representing both public and private sectors of the UK and Norway. The goal of NSBTF is to form the basis of regulation for CO₂ storage in the North Sea, of which ECN actively contributes to. 
• Technical support for an enabling policy framework for CCS in the EU (2008)
  This work comprised an extended impact assessment of different policy and regulatory options for an enabling framework for CCS, and was key input to the EC proposal for the CO₂ Storage Directive in January 2008.

Related publications and presentations

• CO2ReMoVe D4.1.4B: Possible impacts of captured CO₂ stream impurities on transport infrastructure and geological storage formations. Current understanding and implications for EU legislation, June 2011.
• Encouraging Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage, June 2011.
• Issues concerning the implementation of the CCS Directive in the Netherlands. September 2010
• Monitoring and reporting rules for CCS operations in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.  November 2008
• Effective EU and Member State policies for stimulating CCS. November 2008
• Guidelines for licensing CO2 storage operations around the globe. April 2008
• Incentivising CO2 capture and storage in the European Union. April 2007

Contact person: Tom Mikunda