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Response to the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee inquiry on Carbon Capture and Storage


Citation Haszeldine, S., Chalmers, H., Gibbins, J., Markusson, N. and Skea, J. Response to the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee inquiry on Carbon Capture and Storage. 2008.
Author(s) Haszeldine, S., Chalmers, H., Gibbins, J., Markusson, N. and Skea, J.
Download Response_to_the_House_of_Commons_Environmental_Audit_Committee_inquiry_on_Carbon_Capture_and_Storage.pdf document type
Abstract
  • Carbon capture and storage (CCS) can be a critical CO2 reduction technology for the UK. CCS is now commencing the early pre-commercial demonstration stages worldwide, with the objective of widespread commercial deployment by 2020 - 2025.
  • Capture ready design is a very important set of practical actions during the design and building of new power plant, which can be utilised at a later date, to enable the avoidance of locked-in high carbon emissions in future.
  • BERR has already given Section 36 planning consent to Natural Gas Combined Cycle (NGCC) power plants including a condition that they are capture ready, but without a clear definition of this condition.
  • The Kingsnorth plant is currently awaiting a decision on capture ready requirements for coal-fired power plants in the UK. This has become a focus for objectors.
  • A wideand encompassing specification of capture ready is needed, to ensure feasible conversion to CCS, when it is required by regulation and/or economically justified.
  • It is very unlikely that a CCS plant will operate in the UK until additional costs are covered by appropriate financial support.
  • Many estimates exist of the support needed to avoid losses on demonstration plant, typically stated to be a total of 70-100 per ton CO2. Several approaches are suggested here to regulate or incentivise CCS.