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New report outlines the benefits of implementing carbon capture and storage in the UK

World Cement,


A report on carbon capture and storage (CCS) in the UK indicates that implementing the technology would help to support energy-intensive industries such as the cement sector, while also enabling the UK to reduce emissions, create a large number of jobs, in addition to providing economic benefits of up to £2 – 4 billion pa by 2030. The report, The Economic Benefits of CCS in the UK, was published by the Carbon Capture and Storage Association (CCSA) together with the Trades Union Congress (TUC). The findings suggest that the government should take immediate action to boost CCS in the UK in order to generate the economic benefits that it would bring.

Report highlights

  • CCS could support energy-intensive industries, such as cement, steel and chemical production, as well as helping to retain existing sectors such as coal and gas power generation.
  • CCS technology would help the UK to meet its target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050. Attempting to meet this target without CCS could cost an estimated £30 – 40 billion pa.
  • Around 1000 – 2500 jobs would be created during the construction phase of each new-build CCS power plant, followed by 200 – 300 jobs in operation, maintenance and along the supply chain.
  • Wholesale electricity prices could by reduced by 15% by including CCS in the low-carbon technologies mix.
  • The total economic benefits are estimated to be worth £2 – 4 billion pa to 2030.

“The UK is committed to reducing its carbon emissions in the coming decades. Carbon capture storage technology offers a way to meet our environmental targets, while creating thousands of skilled, well-paid jobs and transforming regional economies,” said TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady.

“New CCS plants would create thousands of new jobs and safeguard many more in energy intensive industries such as steel, chemicals and cement. This is a great opportunity to reinvigorate our manufacturing sector and bring new R&D, design and construction jobs to areas like Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland,” added O’Grady.

Commenting on the report’s findings, Chief Executive of the CCSA Dr Luke Warren stated: “This report definitively shows that the successful deployment of CCS has wider benefits for the UK economy. Respected international and UK organisations agree that without CCS in the mix, costs of meeting climate change targets will rise significantly. We have gone further in this report to show that the cost savings from CCS have a real impact on the average UK household – increasing their disposable income and reducing the risk of fuel poverty. The UK is one of the best places in the world to develop CCS – we have abundant storage capacity in the North Sea, a world-class oil and gas industry with the right skills for CCS, and existing infrastructure that can be re-used. Now is the time for the UK to seize this opportunity, realise the significant benefits of CCS and become one of the global leaders in this vital technology.”

The Economic Benefits of CCS in the UK is a summary of A UK Vision for Carbon Capture and Storage, a longer study on the topic. Both reports can be found on the Carbon Capture and Storage Association and TUC’s websites.

Cement sector

You can read more about the role of carbon capture, utilisation and storage in the January 2014 issue of World Cement. In January's keynote article, Dennis R. Van Puyvelde of Van Puyvelde Energy and CCS Research Consultants, Australia, provides an overview of how CCUS can be applied to the cement industry. Subscribers can access the issue by logging in. Non-subscribers can download a PDF preview of the January issue here.

Adapted from press release by

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/europe-cis/05022014/new_report_looks_at_benefits_of_ccs_in_the_uk_698/

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