Original Report: www.bbc.com(full story)
- The UK government has pledged £21.7bn to bolster the carbon capture industry over the next 25 years.
- Carbon capture and storage (CCS) captures CO2 from industrial sources to mitigate climate change, differing from carbon removal, which takes existing CO2 out of the atmosphere.
- Current global CCS efforts are minimal compared to total CO2 emissions.
Will carbon capture aid the UK in combating climate change? Enthusiasm surrounds carbon capture following the government’s substantial investment, aimed at revitalizing the industrial sector and ushering in a clean energy era. However, the effectiveness and value of this initiative remain in question.
Carbon capture and storage involves intercepting CO2 emissions from power plants and industries before they enter the atmosphere, followed by transportation and deep underground storage. Though CCS technology has existed for decades, its adoption has been sluggish globally and within the UK, with approximately 45 facilities operating worldwide, collectively capturing over 50 million tonnes of CO2 annually. This is negligible compared to the staggering 35 billion tonnes of annual emissions from fossil fuels and industries.
The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, alongside the UK’s Climate Change Committee, acknowledges the significance of CCS in achieving net-zero targets. The rationale is straightforward: as the UK gradually moves away from fossil fuels—thanks to expanding renewable electricity generation—some reliance on gas will remain, particularly in balancing intermittent energy sources.
CS capture is poised to play a vital role in decarbonizing industries like cement manufacturing, given the lack of viable alternatives. While environmental advocates support its potential, concerns arise about the risk of enabling ongoing fossil fuel use if not properly regulated.
The International Energy Agency anticipates a significant rise in carbon capture, potentially reaching 435 million tonnes per year by 2030. The UK possesses ideal geological formations in the North Sea for CO2 storage and boasts a skilled workforce from the oil and gas sector. The government, continuing previous Tory plans, aims for the UK to lead in this domain.
The £21.7bn investment will support three carbon capture initiatives and two transport and storage projects in Merseyside and Teesside, addressing economic barriers that have hindered CCS. The goal is to make capturing CO2 financially viable, offering incentives while also imposing penalties for non-compliance.
Despite a similar pledge of £20bn from Conservatives in March 2023, critics from Labour argue the funding lacked clarity and feasibility. The initial projects are slated to commence by 2028, aspiring to capture 8.5 million tonnes of CO2 annually—merely a fraction of the UK’s 384 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in 2023.
Thus, while carbon capture represents a crucial piece of the decarbonization puzzle, it must be viewed as just one among many strategies needed to achieve the UK’s net-zero aspirations, paving the way for job creation and investment in clean technologies.
