Media Releases

Media Releases

Global CCS Institute Statement on the New Industrial Strategy for Europe

11th March 2020

The Global CCS Institute welcomes the new European Industrial Strategy released by the European Commission. The strategy highlights the important role of industry, with emphasis on energy-intensive sectors, in delivering Europe’s ambition of becoming a climate-neutral continent by 2050 at the latest.  The Communication puts forward the Commission’s vision for the future of Europe’s industry and what it must achieve by 2030. It is a starting point laying out the foundations for how Europe and its industries will deliver clean technologies, low-carbon energy vectors, innovation and climate neutral products.

In this proposed new growth strategy for Europe, carbon capture and storage (CCS) has an essential role to play in supporting Europe’s climate ambition and the transformation of key European industries and sectors. In its Communication, the Commission emphasises that the transformation and modernisation of energy-intensive industries “must be a top priority”, given the importance of these sectors for Europe’s economy.

In Europe, CCS can support efforts to deliver deep emission reductions in energy-intensive industries such as cement, chemicals and steel. It also has the ability to lower the carbon footprint of key industrial products.

Following the release of the new Industrial Strategy, Guloren Turan, General-Manager for Advocacy at the Global CCS Institute said:

“The Commission’s new strategy is an important starting point as industries prepare to undergo significant transformation to ensure their transition to climate neutrality. CCS can be an important accelerator and enhancer of deep decarbonisation efforts.  The set of technologies is versatile and has the unique ability to provide significant emission reductions in important European industries including cement and steel. CCS is also an important enabler of clean hydrogen production and should be considered in light of the new proposed European Clean Hydrogen Alliance. The strategy lays important foundations for future industry endeavours. Enabling actions, roadmaps and other levers must now be put in place to accelerate the transition and transformation of industry as well as the deployment of CCS and CO2 infrastructure. We are at a crucial time and to ensure that the solutions, technologies and infrastructure we need will be available, we must put forward the right incentives and policies in place.”

In addition to its two operating large-scale CCS projects, Europe hosts a number of industrial CCS projects that are currently at different stages of development. These projects have the potential to decarbonise cement production, waste-to-energy and hydrogen production.  The development of smart common CO2 transport and storage infrastructure will also be an important element to support industries efforts to decarbonise.

Read the Institute’s recent paper on the European Green Deal here.

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