Abby L. Harvey
GHG Monitor
8/7/2015
While the deployment of carbon capture and storage technology is an international goal, what path is taken to reach large-scale deployment in different areas is very much dependent on regional drivers, according to a report released by the International Energy Agency this week.
The report notes that varying circumstances exist across different sectors of the world. In some areas, for example, CCS will be best put to use in the power sector; meanwhile, in areas of the world where fossil fuels make up a smaller portion of the energy mix, CCS is likely to be integrated into industrial sectors. “CCS is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ technology. Its relative importance within a country’s available portfolio of climate actions will vary according to national circumstances. For some countries, the technology may play an integral part of their mitigation strategies, whereas for others different priorities may exist,” according to the report.
The report goes on to note the wide range of potential uses for CCS in efforts to combat climate change. “For some countries, the focus will be on coal-fired power generation or carbon intensive sectors with large point sources such as cement kilns and iron and steel facilities. For others, specific options may exist in ‘high purity’ sectors, which already undertake the capture stage as part of project operations – such as natural gas processing and hydrogen production,” it says.
CCS Could Get Boost Out Of Paris Agreement
Member countries of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change have begun submitting their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) to the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP 21), which will be held in Paris in December. During COP 21, delegates will work to develop a post-Kyoto climate protocol. This process offers a potential stepping stone for CCS. “Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) submitted by Parties will collectively determine global efforts to reduce emissions under a new post-2020 agreement. The ambition of the commitments will in turn provide the demand for deploying step-change mitigation technologies including CCS to help meet them,” according to the IEA report.
