Page 18 - Gi flipbook April 2018

The role of CCS in meeting climate policy targets

innovation chain, and the role of CCS is not without risks or uncertainties,
actors, institutions and networks in
conditioning the process. This is and there are various challenges that
especially the case for CCS, which is would need to be overcome if it were to
characterised by multifactor supply
chains, long-term liabilities and large be widely deployed
shared infrastructures.
• As part of this approach, there will
be a need for technology push
policies – such as support for frameworks. The design of a CCS reduce costs, and as such appears to
research, development and legal and regulatory regime needs to be a key “no-regrets” option.
demonstration; and market pull incorporate effective review • In scenarios where it is available, CCS
policies – such as price support or procedures and adaptation plays a significant but not dominant
carbon taxes; as well as coordination mechanisms in order to learn from role in power sector decarbonisation
of actors, institutions and networks developing scientific knowledge and – however its role appears much
across the innovation system. technical experience. In order to more critical in ‘hard-to-decarbonise’
• Comparable large technological provide evidence of the potential sectors for which alternative
systems and infrastructures have in future role of CCS in meeting mitigation options are very expensive
the past benefitted from some kind or not available, such as heavy
of whole-chain coordination and industry and manufacture of
support, with governments often synthetic transport fuels for non-
playing key enabling roles. electrifiable transport modes.
• It is unlikely that CCS will succeed • Bioenergy used in conjunction with
without similar whole-chain CCS (BECCS) features significantly
coordination and support. in a number of low carbon
• Public engagement in the scenarios as a means of balancing
process of developing large carbon budgets with so-called
scale technological systems ‘negative emissions’. Separate
like CCS, and the role they from the operation of CCS
could play in the overall itself, the risks and uncertainties
transition to sustainable around the availability of large
energy systems, is critical. quantities of sustainable biomass
is another key concern arising
OUR REVIEW OF THE from this analysis.
CURRENT STATUS OF CCS
SYSTEMS AND POLICIES FINDS CONCLUSIONS
THAT: CCS is a controversial technology that
• CCS projects are in operation in has both proponents and opponents.
various parts of the world, but such However, an overly binary approach
projects are typically cases where climate policy objectives, and the to CCS is unlikely to be helpful.
the addition of CCS is a relatively potential risks to these objectives Rather than either simply attempting
small incremental investment due to that may be incurred from not to dismiss risk entirely, or conversely
the nature of the existing process, having CCS available, we analyse a to assume that any amount of risk
or where captured CO has a range of future climate mitigation however small is sufficient to reject
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commercial value. scenarios, comparing scenarios CCS entirely, we suggest that a more
• For these kinds of projects, the produced for this report with constructive approach is likely to arise
economics are such that relatively scenarios produced in other from open and transparent
modest policy incentives have modelling exercises. assessment and balancing of risks and
provided sufficient additional uncertainties, including consideration
incentive for companies to carry out THIS CROSS MODEL of whether and how such
geological sequestration of CO . ANALYSIS PROVIDES ROBUST uncertainties can be reduced.
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However, policy drivers are not yet EVIDENCE THAT: No technology is without risk or
strong enough to bring about • If CCS were to become available on uncertainty. Therefore ,the question
large-scale projects explicitly a large scale it could play an in relation to CCS should not be
concerned with dedicated storage of important role in meeting climate whether all risks and uncertainties
CO for climate mitigation purposes, policy targets. can be eliminated before it is
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where there is no other commercial • The non-availability of CCS appears possible to proceed, but rather to
value derived from the CO . to make climate mitigation scenarios what extent such risks can be
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• Legal and regulatory frameworks for at best much higher cost, and at managed, and to what extent they
CCS are emerging in various worst infeasible. In scenarios where may be outweighed by opposing risks
jurisdictions, some adapting existing CCS is not available, energy and that could arise as a result of not
frameworks, others developing new material efficiency can help to attempting to develop CCS. ■

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