Carbon capture and storage
CCS is generally understood as consisting of three major steps: Capture and compression of the CO2 at the emission site; Transport of the CO2 to a storage location; Storage, whereby CO2 is permanently stored in geological formations, deep underground. Each step has several technology options, with different levels of performance and maturity, which can be combined in various ways. Capture can use Post-combustion, in which CO2 is removed from exhaust gases through absorption by selective solvents, as well as Pre-combustion, whereby fuel is pre-treated and converted into a mix of CO2 and hydrogen.
'Materials Roadmap Enabling Low-Carbon Energy Technologies' published Jan 03, 2012
Materials are at the core of industrial innovation and enable it. The materials presented in this new Roadmap complement and expand the technology roadmaps developed in the context of the SET-Plan as the basis for its implementation. It puts forward key materials research and innovation activities to advance energy technologies for the next 10 years.
Interview: Peter Rigby, Innovation & Business Development Manager of Umicore Dec 29, 2011
SETIS recently asked Peter Rigby, Innovation & Business Development Manager of Umicore, to share his personal reflections on the new EC Energy Roadmap 2050.
Interview: Hans Schoenmakers, Director Stakeholder Management, ROAD Dec 21, 2011
The ROAD project in Rotterdam will be one of the world’s first large-scale integrated carbon capture and storage (CCS) schemes. Hans Schoenmakers, ROAD’s Director Stakeholder Management, talks about the project, the regulatory background and why CCS is vital to the future of the planet.
Horizon 2020: in tandem with SET-Plan to achieve 2020 targets Dec 13, 2011
Earlier this month Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn announced Horizon 2020, an EUR 80 billion programme to help achieve Europe's 2020 targets, which includes a package of measures to boost research, innovation and competitiveness in Europe.
2011 Technology Map of the SET-Plan now available Dec 08, 2011
The third edition of the Technology Map, i.e. the 2011 update, addresses 20 different technologies, covering the whole spectrum of the energy system, including both supply and demand technologies.
SET-Plan Conference 2011:the future of energy depends on research and financing Nov 30, 2011
The Warsaw conference on the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan) began on 28th November - the same day as the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa, at which representatives of the world’s largest economies are discussing the future of limiting the world emission of carbon dioxide.
EC proposal to speed up improvements to trans-European energy infrastructure Oct 31, 2011
Under a new proposal published on 19 October, the European Commission plans to invest EUR 9.1 billion to improve trans-European energy infrastructure between 2014 and 2020. The money will be part of an ambitious EUR 50 billion Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) to develop Europe’s transport, energy and digital networks.
European Commission Roadmap to Resource Efficiency published Oct 14, 2011
Last month the European Commission published its ‘Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe’. The Roadmap contains a series of medium- (2020) and long-term (2050) resource efficiency objectives as well as the means needed for achieving them, including targets by 2013 and milestones for 2020.
ZEP releases major report: "The Costs of CO2 Capture, Transport and Storage" Aug 08, 2011
The Zero Emissions Platform (ZEP) has undertaken a major study into the costs of Carbon Capture, Transport and Storage (CCS) based on new data provided by ZEP member organisations on existing pilot and planned demonstration projects.
Download the SETIS brochure - new in the Library Jul 25, 2011
What is SETIS? How does SETIS support the SET-Plan? Download the new informational brochure (available in English, Dutch and Italian), which looks at how SETIS provides information for decision-making by monitoring progress of the SET-Plan.
ATEsT online newsletters Jul 12, 2011
ATEsT (Analysing Transition Planning and Systemic Energy Planning Tools for the implementation of the Energy Technology Information System) brings together EU competence on a transition towards a low-carbon energy system through energy innovation, energy modelling activities and technology assessment.
New European Energy Efficiency Fund launched Jul 05, 2011
On 1st July 2011, the Commission launched a new European Energy Efficiency Fund (EEE-F) as part of the European Energy Programme for Recovery (EEPR).
Eurobarometer report: Public Awareness and Acceptance of CO2 capture and storage Jun 14, 2011
A recently published Eurobarometer report revealed that carbon capture and storage (CCS) is still largely unknown to the EU citizen, when compared with other low-carbon energy technologies.
IEA Working Paper on carbon capture performance May 26, 2011
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has released a working paper on "Cost and Performance of Carbon Dioxide Capture from Power Generation".
European Commission publishes guidelines on CCS implementation May 10, 2011
Guidelines to help Member States implement the 2009 Directive on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) have recently been published by the European Commission.
Clean Energy Solutions Center: one-stop-shop for low-carbon energy analysis and best practice May 10, 2011
The Clean Energy Solutions Center is an American (Washington D.C.)-based initiative of the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM). The Center was launched in 2010 to assist partners and partner countries with designing and implementing clean energy policies and deployment programmes.
European Commission adopts Energy Efficiency Plan 2011 Mar 31, 2011
On 8th March 2011, the EC adopted its Communication, "Energy Efficiency Plan 2011", which puts energy efficiency at the heart of the Europe 2020 Strategy for what it calls “smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and the transition to a resource efficient economy.”
EESC calls for a common EU external policy on energy Mar 31, 2011
In a communiqué issued on 18th March 2011, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) calls on the European Union to consider the security of its energy supply as one of the priorities of its external policy. The recommendation is one of the results of an Opinion on energy supply and neighbourhood policy commissioned by the current Hungarian EU presidency.
EESC Conference on Energy Security Mar 31, 2011
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is holding a conference in Pécs (Hungary) on 29th April 2011 on how EU energy policy can ensure security of supply and how we can strengthen the external dimension of EU energy policy.
Renewable Energy Targets: Commission calls on Member States to boost cooperation Mar 14, 2011
The European Commission presented on 31 January 2011 its communication "Renewable Energy: Progressing towards the 2020 target". The communication shows that the 2020 renewable energy policy goals are likely to be met - and exceeded - if Member States fully implement their national renewable energy action plans and if financing instruments are improved.
European Council’s First Energy summit ‘a breakthrough’ Feb 21, 2011
According to EC Commissioner for Energy, Günther Oettinger, the European Council’s first Summit on energy in Brussels on 4th February 2011 was “a breakthrough for European energy policy.” The Summit, he added, would be “a benchmark for the years to come.”
Global investment in low-carbon energy surged to a record €177 billion in 2010 Jan 26, 2011
According to Bloomberg news agency, investment in low-carbon energy surged to a record $243 billion (€177 billion) last year, boosted by a 30 per cent spending increase in China to $51.1 billion (€37.3 billion) and “a burst in small-scale solar-power installations”.
EU Member States collectively forecast to exceed 20% target for renewable energy sources Jan 26, 2011
According to the European Renewable Energy Council (EREC), 25 out of the 27 National Renewable Energy Action Plans submitted to the European Commission expect to reach or exceed their 2020 targets domestically.
Successful Belgian Presidency conference on the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan) Nov 18, 2010
The Belgian presidency and the European Commission organised the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan Conference 2010. More than 500 stakeholders from industry and research institutes and European and national policymakers from across Europe gathered in Brussels for the fourth edition of the SET-Plan conference. The main objectives were the launch of the next two European Industrial Initiatives: Bioenergy and Sustainable Nuclear Energy, and the kick-off of the international cooperation dimension within the SET-Plan.
European Commission releases new report on energy trends to 2030 Nov 04, 2010
The European Commission has recently published new EU energy scenarios in its report, ‘EU energy trends to 2030’.
Interview: Henrik Bindslev, Chairman of the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) Nov 03, 2010
In June 2010 Henrik Bindslev, Director of the Danish National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy (Risø DTU), was named chairman of the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA), replacing Ton Hoff (ECN). Here, Mr Bindlev outlines how he sees the development of the EERA and how alternative energy technologies are emerging faster than anticipated.
Announcement: New JRC report, ‘Quantitative Assessment of the Impact of the Strategic Energy Technology Plan on the European Power Sector’ Nov 03, 2010
A new report by the Joint Research Centre examines how increasing RD&D efforts for certain low-carbon power technologies will impact on the development of the European energy sector for 2020 and beyond.
Green Energy funding backed by European Parliament's Industry Committee Oct 08, 2010
Projects designed to improve energy efficiency could receive up to EUR 115 million in EU funds that would otherwise go unspent following the European Parliament’s approval of European Commission proposals for further funding under the European Energy Recovery Programme (EERP).
Madrid SET-Plan Conference final report now available Sep 17, 2010
On 3-4 June 2010 a summit conference on the Strategic Energy Technology
Plan (SET-Plan) was organised in the framework of the Spanish Presidency.
Click here to read the Conference summary report.
France, UK, Germany issue joint call for 30% CO2 cuts Jul 22, 2010
Ministers from the UK, France and Germany have issued a joint call for the EU to raise its emission reduction target to 30% by 2020.
Renewables account for 62% of the new electricity generation capacity installed in the EU in 2009 Jul 22, 2010
The ‘Renewable Energy Snapshots’ report, published in July 2010 by the Joint Research Centre (JRC), shows that renewable energy sources accounted for 62%, or 17GW, of the new electricity generation capacity installed in the EU27 in 2009. This is up from 57% in 2008.
EU looks to move towards a 30 per cent emissions cut Jul 01, 2010
On 26 May the European Commission presented an analysis of the costs, benefits and options for moving beyond the EU's greenhouse gas reduction target for 2020 from 20 percent below 1990 levels to 30 percent once the conditions are met.
EERA launches new joint energy research programmes Jul 01, 2010
In response to the increasing need for energy innovation in Europe and beyond, the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) is launching its new Joint Research Programmes to help strengthen, expand and optimise EU energy research. The first Joint Programmes of research on Wind, Photovoltaic, Smart Grids and Geothermal were officially launched during the SET-Plan conference, on 3-4 June 2010 in Madrid.
Announcement: New publication from DG Energy: 'The European Strategic Energy and Technology Plan (SET-Plan)' Jul 01, 2010
This 16-page brochure provides a concise overview of the SET-Plan, the European Industrial Initiatives (EIIs), the Steering Group, the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) and SETIS.
European Parliament roundtable: At the intersection of financing and policy – investing in low-carbon energy technologies in the EU Jun 04, 2010
Despite the effects of the global economic crisis, investment in low-carbon technologies has remained comparatively stable in recent years. The crisis has, however, reinforced the importance of the financial impetus needed to bring low-carbon energy technologies on stream.
Financing the development and installation of low-carbon energy is currently a political priority, but increased investment for these energy technologies is needed at both EU and international levels.
Europe on track to meet ambitious renewables targets Apr 13, 2010
The European Commission released a report revealing that the EU is on track to exceed its target of generating 20% of all energy consumed from renewables, as set out in the Renewable Energy Directive. Ten of the EU’s 27 Member States are likely to surpass their national targets, while a further 12 will meet their goals. Just five countries are predicted to miss their targets using domestic renewable energy sources alone.
Zero Emission Platform: report on long-term Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) research in Europe Mar 19, 2010
The European Technology Platform on zero emission fossil fuel power plants (ZEP) recently published a report ‘Recommendations for Research to support CCS in Europe and beyond 2020’. It identifies key R&D areas for next-generation CCS technologies, recommends specific actions for wide-scale deployment of CCS post-2020, and highlights areas of technologies to improve CO2 capture performance.
Strategic energy technologies
- - Advanced fossil fuel production
- - Biofuels
- - Bioenergy
- - Cement energy efficiency
- - Carbon capture and storage
- - Cogeneration of heat and power
- - Concentrated solar power
- - Electricity grids
- - Electricity storage in the power sector
- - Fuel cells and hydrogen
- - Geothermal power
- - Hydropower
- - Nuclear fission power
- - Nuclear fusion power
- - Ocean wave power
- - Road transport efficiency
- - Solar heating and cooling
- - Solar photovoltaic
- - Wind energy
