Fossil fuels play a vital role in providing energy in the UK and globally. In the UK, DECC wants to be able to maintain fossil fuels as part of a diverse and secure low-carbon energy mix.
However, to avoid dangerous climate change, action is needed to substantially reduce the carbon dioxide emissions for these sources. Development and deployment of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is critical to this, as it has the potential to reduce the CO2 emissions from power stations by around 90%, and make a significant contribution towards the UK and international climate change goals.
Whilst the individual processes involved in CCS are not new, they have yet to be demonstrated together at a commercial scale. DECC is therefore progressing with a programme of 4 CCS demonstrations and has set out a detailed policy framework, which includes no new coal without CCS, and a long-term transition to clean coal. There are now a number of diverse, but linked, actions which need to be taken to ensure that CCS can be successful.
What is Carbon Capture and Storage?
CCS is a three stage process. It involves:
- Capturing CO2 emissions from power stations or other industrial sources
- Transporting the CO2, usually by pipelines, to storage points
- Storing it safely in geological sites such as deep saline formations or depleted oil and gas fields.
To read more on the technology and processes involved, please see the Carbon Capture & Storage page.
The Office of Carbon Capture and Storage (OCCS)
The actions needed for CCS to be successful will be undertaken using a coordinated approach through the Office of Carbon Capture and Storage (OCCS), which is tasked with facilitating the delivery of CCS in the UK, and helping to promote its rapid deployment globally.
The Office will set the strategic path for the use of CCS, facilitate the delivery of the demonstration programme, create the policy and support arrangements to stimulate private sector investment, and work with stakeholders to remove barriers to investment and development in the UK and globally. It will also look to maximise the domestic and global opportunities for UK businesses and the economy to benefit.
Who are we?
The Office is staffed by a dedicated team of Civil Servants, who are focused on helping to deliver CCS by:
- Facilitating the development of CCS technology, including the UK demonstration programme, innovation, and funding.
- Working with stakeholders to ensure the wider framework for delivering CCS in the UK exists, including regulation and UK skills and capacity.
- Raising levels of understanding about CCS within governments, industry and the public.
- Coordinating strategy and policy on CCS, including the wider potential for application to gas generation and industrial processes
- Leading on the development of a Roadmap, to guide future actions on CCS.
An Industrial Strategy for the development of carbon capture and storage across the UK
There are significant opportunities offered by CCS to UK Businesses. Geography alone has huge potential for the UK, with the North Sea offering some of the best storage sites for CO2 in Europe.
We also have long-established engineering and project management skills in both fossil fuel power generation and offshore oil and gas, both of which will be required to deliver CCS technically, and the financial and legal expertise to construct the complex business models and contractual arrangements essential to deliver projects.
On 17 March 2010 a CCS industrial strategy was published for the development of carbon capture and storage across the UK, which focuses on how to make the most of the opportunities.
This strategy was intended to promote discussion and debate on delivering CCS through the demonstration phase and on to wider deployment.
Documents:
Further Information
If you have any questions or comments, please contact occs@decc.gsi.gov.uk or call 0300 060 4000.