A CCS industry to support a low-carbon European economic recovery and deliver sustainable growth

Europe and the world are facing an unparalleled economic crisis as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Large public investments will need to be mobilised over the coming years to stimulate economic recovery. European recovery can go hand in hand with the ambitions of the European Green Deal –  to reach net-zero GHG emissions by 2050 – and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies will be an important tool to both deliver the needed climate change mitigation and safeguard European industrial competitiveness.

• CCS will be key in the industrial transition towards net-zero GHG emissions – safeguarding jobs, industrial activity and economic growth.
• European CO2 transport and storage infrastructure is a no-regret investment opportunity to pave the way for a climate-proof European economy.
• CO2 infrastructure can kickstart a clean hydrogen economy and deliver carbon removals.
• CCS are proven technologies, are cost-efficient, available now and necessary for Europe to reach its target of net-zero emissions by 2050.
• Include CCS in the economic recovery stimulus – shovel-ready projects can make a difference.

The EU recovery plan presents a unique opportunity to drive forward the clean agenda. Shovel-ready CCS projects (projects that are scheduled to commence execution in 2021 and through the following years). – building on European know-how and creating a European centre of excellence – can achieve climate change mitigation and maintain industrial competitiveness and should be an integral part of the European Commission’s recovery plan. A non-exhaustive list of CCS, CO2 infrastructure and clean hydrogen projects:

• 5 PCIs: Northern Lights, Athos, ERVIA CCUS, CO2 TransPorts, Acorn/Sapling
• Hydrogen projects: H2M (clean hydrogen), H2morrow (clean hydrogen for clean steel production), HyDemo (clean hydrogen for maritime sector), H-Vision
• Capture projects: ViennaGreenCO₂ (solid sorbent capture technology pilot), Technology Centre Mongstad (post-combustion capture technologies), Norcem (capture from cement plant), Carbon capture projects in Germany, Belgium and Sweden.
• Industrial projects: Leilac 2 project (Pilot installation for breakthrough technology in cement production), onshore storage projects (including capture of emissions in cement plants) in Eastern Europe, Net-Zero Teesside.

We recommend:

• To put in place an enabling policy framework, making it economically feasible for companies to invest in the whole value chain of CCS.
• To recognise and ensure political support for common infrastructure, both for CO2 and clean hydrogen.
• To use the green recovery to kick-start projects along the whole value chain of CCS and clean hydrogen now.