Abby L. Harvey
GHG Monitor
5/9/2014
Swedish power company Vattenfall announced Tuesday that it would be discontinuing its carbon capture and storage research and development in an effort to “prioritize [their] R&D investments and choose whatever is most needed.” This comes only weeks after the company signed a Memorandum of Understanding on CCS knowledge and technologies with Canadian company SaskPower. The MOU, which is in effect for five years, is meant to explore opportunities for collaboration which “may include: mutual support for the development of CCS projects through technical exchange; informing and guiding the overall development of CCS infrastructure; and sharing CCS developments relating to health, safety and the environment,” a release stated.
Both Vattenfall and SaskPower have expressed confidence that regardless of Vattenfall’s discontinuation of its CCS R&D projects, they will be able to continue collaboration. A Vattenfall release stated that the company intends to “continue [their] engagement in CCS through knowledge exchange,” noting specifically its arrangement with SaskPower. A SaskPower spokesman affirmed that the announcement would not affect the MOU. “Our MOU with Vattenfall remains in effect – no changes have been made to that document. Our understanding from Vattenfall is that they are still very much interested in work related to increasing the public acceptability of CCS, an area in which SaskPower has extensive experience.”
