Towards Carbon Capture and Storage

The RSC has submitted a joint response with the Institute of Biology and Institute of Physics to the BERR consultation "Towards Carbon Capture and Storage".

Fossil fuels will remain part of the global electricity generation mix for some time and carbon capture and storage (CCS) will play a vital role in sequestering the resultant CO2 emissions. Carbon capture and storage can also play a broader role, in capturing emissions from other large-scale industrial emitters and potentially in distributed carbon capture, for example, via biological capture. All new power plants should be built at least "capture ready" to avoid the 40-60 years of carbon "lock-in" which would result if new build plants cannot accommodate the technologies as they become available. The continued and secure funding of fundamental research in to new CCS technologies, the storage of CO2 and alternative uses for CO2 is essential.