CCS jobs boost potential

North East England's Labour Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) today welcomed the findings of a new study investigating the CO2 storage potential of the North Sea, which could offer significant economic and environmental benefits to their region, the UK and the European Union.

The report adds to several existing studies that suggest that the North Sea has considerable CO2 storage potential (estimated at 78 billion tonnes of CO2). As part of a system of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), and optimised with the existing North Sea infrastructure, this storage capacity would help provide a sustainable future for energy intensive industries in the region and help to decarbonise the UK's energy sector.

Jude Kirton-Darling MEP, Member of the Industry, Research and Energy Committee, (Substitute)  said

"Carbon Capture and Storage is the only technology which offers an affordable and sustainable future to energy intensive industries, which are key employers in our region. CCS is also a technology that can help us transition from fossil fuel energy production to renewable energy."

"Today's report helps build on the already strong case, for investment in this technology. The UK Government needs to ensure that it does everything it can, including securing funding, to make CCS a reality today. Thousands of jobs depend on it"

Paul Brannen MEP, Member of the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee (Substitute) stated

 "Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) could help our region to decarbonise not only our traditional, energy intensive, industries, such as chemicals or steel production, but it could also help cut emissions from our power sector, which currently relies heavily on fossil fuels."

"Studies from the IPCC have highlighted that without CCS, the global cost of staying within the 2ºC scenario will be almost 140% more expensive. In the long-term CCS will help us meet our climate-change targets in a cost-effective manner". [1]

"This report only adds to the already extensive evidence that we have the storage capacity to make CCS work for our region and the UK. What we need now is strong and clear support from the UK government."       

The study, entitled CO2MultiStore Joint Industry Project, was carried out by Scottish Carbon Capture and Storage (SCCS), supported by the Scottish Government, The Crown Estate, Shell, Scottish Enterprise and Vattenfall. -http://www.sccs.org.uk/expertise/reports/co2multistore-joint-industry-pr...

[1] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Working Group III. (2014). Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of climate change - http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar5/wg3/ipcc_wg3_ar5_summary-fo... -