Ten megatons of carbon dioxide per year. That’s the government’s stated aim for UK carbon capture and storage (CCS) activity by 2030. Ten megatons. That’s not much less than the total 2020 emissions of a country like Zimbabwe (or a company like YouTube). Some people will see that number and think it’s not enough. Others will see it and think it is unrealistically high.
Fortunately, there has been progress. The UK government has launched ‘Phase 2’ of its carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) plan, having identified two offshore clusters in Phase 1. Though there has been consternation at the decision to relegate the Scottish Acorn Cluster to reserve status, BP’s East Coast cluster and ENI’s Hynet look like positive steps forwards for this nascent industry.
Download our latest article to find out what barriers need overcoming to reach that ten megatons target.