The trade body for the UK carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) industry, the Carbon Capture and Storage Association (CCSA), has emphasised the need to scale up CCUS in its ‘CCUS Delivery Plan 2035’ published today (28th March).
To deliver the Government’s Net Zero Strategy ambition of storing 50m tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year by 2035, the CCSA has laid out industry’s recommended pathway alongside ten critical actions that must be undertaken within the next 12 months.
As part of the report, the CCSA collected data from a pipeline of carbon capture projects across the UK that together could prevent 70m tonnes of emissions every year, providing the Government commits to further CO2 storage and transport infrastructure development before 2030.
“Our recommended build-out rate would provide a route to decarbonisation for all of our industrial regions and mean that we could rely on our own industries such as clean steel, clean cement and clean hydrogen for the net zero transition,” said Ruth Herbert, Chief Executive, CCSA.
“To continue investing in this pipeline, the sector is asking Government to commit to regular contract allocation rounds, with an overarching target and budget, similar to that provided for offshore wind in 2013.”
Such a commitment could help drive inward investment by appealing to the broader supply chain and the finance community, creating new growth opportunities for industry and contributing to the creation of a world-leading net zero UK industry.
To reach net zero, CCUS is no longer considered an option but a necessity, according to Jonathan Briggs, Chair, CCSA Board, who added that CCUS is essential reducing greenhouse gas emissions across the UK economy.
