Carbon capture, storage and utilisation
[ch 3: pages 46-47]Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a process to avoid the release of CO2 into the atmosphere. It involves capturing CO2 from sources such as power stations and energy-intensive industries, transporting it through pipes and storing it, usually underground.
In its response to the Committee on Climate Change call for evidence on Building a zero-carbon economyin 2018, general union Unite said government support should encourage the creation of a network of carbon capture, storage and utilisation (CCSU) pipelines. It says this could drastically reduce the release of greenhouse gases from energy generation and from high volume energy users that produce many millions of tonnes of CO2. These include the glass, ceramics, metals, paper and concrete industries. It says a CCSU network could provide a lifeline for these industries to allow time for technology to innovate and to smooth the transition to a carbon neutral economy.
The National Audit Office (NAO) explains that like other low-carbon power technologies, CCS is currently too expensive in the UK to be commercially viable for private developers without public support.