Enabling decarbonisation of the fossil fuel-based power sector and energy intensive industry through CCS

Specific challenge:The EU is committed to an overall reduction of greenhouse gas emissions of at least 80% by 2050. Nonetheless, fossil fuels will continue to be used in Europe's power generation as well as in other industrial processes for decades to come. Therefore, the 2050 target can only be achieved if the emissions from fossil fuel combustion in the power generation sector and energy intensive industries are eliminated from the system. This will require the application of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). The assessments made in the context of the EU's Roadmap for the transition to a competitive low carbon economy in 2050 and the Energy Roadmap 2050 see CCS as an important technology contributing to decarbonisation scenarios in the EU, with 7% to 32% of all power generation using CCS by 2050. The application of CCS to industrial sectors other than power (e.g. steel, cement, lime, chemical industry, refining) is expected to deliver half of the global emissions reduction from CCS by 2050. In the near future, these industrial applications will open up new opportunities and avenues for CCS that can accelerate its deployment. For all applications, the demonstration of CO2 storage is of major importance. Therefore, two key challenges in the short-term for driving CCS to deployment are geological storage and the application of CCS to industrial sectors other than power, including bio-CCS.

Scope: Proposals should address one of the respective key challenges as presented above, or a combination of them. Focus should be on progressing technologies that already reached TRL 4-5 to TRL 6 (please see part G of the General Annexes).  For geological storage, projects should enable, under ""real life"" conditions, the development and demonstration of best practices for the entire storage cycle, from site characterisation to operation, risk assessment, monitoring and mitigation/remediation of leakage, and including education and training. Knowledge sharing as well as early and sustained engagement of the local community is essential. In line with the Union’s strategy for international cooperation in research and innovation[1] international cooperation is encouraged, in particular collaboration activities between EU project(s) under this topic and non-EU projects (e.g. from Australia and/or North-America). For industrial applications, proposals should aim at integrating CCS technology in the best possible way so as to optimise the use of energy in the capture process, minimise process efficiency losses, achieve a suitable CO2 purity for transport and storage, and maintain the quality of the industrial end product. Piloting under realistic conditions is required to significantly lower the energy penalty and capture costs. Collaboration with industrial end users is essential. Knowledge sharing as well as early and sustained engagement of the local community is essential.

For geological storage, the Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of between EUR 9 to 16 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately.

For industrial applications, proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of between EUR 4 to 9 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

Expected impact: Demonstration of safe and environmentally sound CO2 storage will play a key role in optimising the safe operation of storage sites and in fine-tuning regulatory issues, in promoting confidence in CO2 storage and building public awareness of CCS. The cost- and resource-effective application of CCS in industrial operations will expand the available options for CCS and provide a stepping stone to its wider deployment. Pilot-scale demonstration projects should contribute to accelerating the development and deployment of CCS through an enhanced and effective cooperation in research and innovation between various stakeholders and Member States, thereby allowing a more efficient use and stronger leverage of financial resources and promoting knowledge sharing.

Type of action: Research & Innovation Actions

[1] COM(2012)497