Strategic Panorama 2009 - 2010 - IEEE

Yolanda Castro Díez
generation is responsible for approximately one-third of current CO2
emissions in Europe. In this connection the key mitigation measure at
the present time is carbon capture and storage (CCS), which will make it
possible to curtail the CO2 emissions of the major plants that run on fossil
fuels. CCS consists in capturing the CO2 produced when fossil fuels are
burned, transporting it to an appropriate location and injecting it into the
subsoil to prevent it reaching the atmosphere. By appropriate locations
we mean geological formations such as exhausted oil and gas wells, and
abandoned coalmines and aquifers.
Although the individual components of the CCS chain have been well
studied and are already operational, the current challenge is to combine
them all in fully integrated and commercially applicable technology. In this
connection various CCS technologies are being developed for use in the
energy sector.
In December 2009 the European Commission approved a set of 15 initiatives
which will receive 1.56 billion euro from the EU plan for economic
recovery. One billion euro will be earmarked to financing six CCS projects
(these will be the first six facilities of this kind in the world, one of which will
be located in Compostilla, Leon, with a budget of 180 million euro), while
the remaining funds will go to nine marine wind power projects. The aim
of the Community executive is to set in motion a total of fifteen projects to
capture and store CO2 by 2020 so that they are commercially feasible.
Bearing in mind the current and future growth in world energy demand—
especially for fossil fuels—it is obvious that CCS should be introduced
all over the world. The rapid development of emerging economies like
China and India is bringing about a sizeable increase in their demand
for energy and in their CO2 emissions. According to the latest estimate,
China is building on average two large coal power plants per week, and
each of them produces CO2 emissions equivalent to those of two million
cars. CCS includes an option for processing these emissions. Therefore
the EU is collaborating with China in the development of CCS and other
clean technologies. Cooperation in the Near Zero Emissions Coal project
(NZEC), which includes research, development and establishment of clean
coal technologies and CCS, is a key element of the agreement signed by
the EU and China in 2005 to combat climate change. Its main goal is to
prove the feasibility of NZEC technology in China and the EU. As part of
this initiative a demonstration plant with near zero emissions is to be built
in China and will be up and running in 2020. The initial stage of the project
is already under way.
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