Tuesday 11 April 2017

£6m boost for UK carbon capture and storage research

£6m boost for UK carbon capture and storage research

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) research projects in the UK have been granted funding worth £6.1 million.

The UK CCS Research Centre (UKCCSRC) has been awarded the cash by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to continue its work for the next five years.

The research centre aims to ensure CCS will play an effective role in reducing emissions while securing “affordable and controllable” electricity supplies and low carbon heat.

Its core activities are delivered by six of the UK’s leading CCS institutions - British Geological Survey, University of Cambridge, University of Edinburgh, Imperial College London, University of Nottingham and University of Sheffield.

Stuart Haszeldinem, UKCCSRC Deputy Director for Storage said: “Strategic research investment by the EPSRC in direct reduction of carbon emissions is welcome and essential. This will continue the development of geological carbon storage for the UK, where uniquely accessible natural assets are low in cost and high in reliability.

“Removing carbon emissions from industry, heat and transport will future-proof the UK economy against clean air taxes, will improve near term health and long term competitiveness. Carbon management is an essential component of the sustainable energy transition, which cannot be achieved by renewables alone.”

The centre will make £1.5 million of funding available through open calls over the course of the grant for emerging research topics.

The Energy Technologies Institute recently said delaying carbon capture and storage (CCS) implementation could cost the UK up to £2 billion a year.

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Written by

Bruna Pinhoni

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