Open Access
The role of CCUS on the EU road to climate neutrality
Loading...
Files
PB_2022_04_FSR.pdf (385.1 KB)
Full-text in Open Access
License
Attribution 4.0 International
Cadmus Permanent Link
Full-text via DOI
ISBN
ISSN
2467-4540
Issue Date
Type of Publication
LC Subject Heading
Other Topic(s)
EUI Research Cluster(s)
Initial version
Published version
Succeeding version
Preceding version
Published version part
Earlier different version
Initial format
Author(s)
Citation
Policy Briefs; 2022/04; Florence School of Regulation; [Gas]
Cite
JONES, Christopher, PIEBALGS, Andris, The role of CCUS on the EU road to climate neutrality, Policy Briefs, 2022/04, Florence School of Regulation, [Gas] - https://hdl.handle.net/1814/73595
Abstract
The EU has decided to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. While energy efficiency and renewable energy must and will remain the foundation of the EU's future energy priorities, carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) will be necessary to achieve this 2050 objective, notably during the transition. In some sectors with hard-to-abate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, such as cement, this is the only option for decarbonisation, and in other energy-intensive areas it will be needed for affordable GHG reductions during the energy transition period. CCUS using biomethane could also deliver negative emissions and be an important carbon sink. Finally, the use of carbon capture and storage (CCS) for producing low-carbon hydrogen could provide significant cost savings, again during the energy transition.
Despite the implementation of Directive 2009/31/EC ‘On the geological storage of carbon dioxide,’ the use of CCUS has been slow. Strong leadership by the European Commission is needed.
The adoption of a European Strategy for CCUS and a European Commission initiative to catalyse CO2 infrastructure could provide this necessary step change.