Introduction
CCS is a process whereby carbon dioxide is captured from large emitters, such as power stations, before being stored indefinitely, often under the sea. CCS has the potential to play a central role in decarbonising the UK’s economy at the lowest cost. It could reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the power sector, heavy industry, heating systems and transport, which together account for over 80% of the UK’s emissions. However, there are challenges to deploying CCS in the UK that mean it may not be currently commercially viable, including the need to build supporting infrastructure for some projects and manage long-term storage risks. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has therefore aimed to support construction of the first CCS facilities in the UK over the past decade. It has run two competitions for government support, but neither has reached a successful conclusion, and there are still no CCS plants working in the UK.
25 April 2017