What role for CCS in delivering just transitions? An evaluation in the North Sea region

Floris Swennenhuis, Leslie Mabon, Todd Allyn Flach, Heleen de Coninck

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Abstract

This paper assesses the role of carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) in addressing challenges in the energy transition in regions reliant on carbon-intensive industries for employment and as an economic base. The assessment is based on semi-structured interviews with relevant stakeholders and experts in the Aberdeen area in Scotland, the Rotterdam harbour (or Rijnmond) area in the Netherlands, and in Norway. The interviews explored challenges around the role of CCS in regional ‘just transitions’, or how to make the transformation of regions relying on carbon-intensive industries to a low-carbon society fair. While significant differences in responses between the Aberdeen area, the Rijnmond area and Norway were found, a common understanding showed that for CCS to contribute to a just transition it has to (a) make a contribution to climate change imperatives; (b) help to mitigate the economic and employment effects arising from declining or maturing industries; and (c) be undertaken in a manner that helps to redress (or at least does not increase) uneven vulnerabilities and inequalities in society. Five key themes that characterise the opportunities and challenges for CCS from a just transition perspective were drawn from the interviews: Skills for a just transition, transition as an opportunity, responsibility, scale of action and viability. We recommend that these are added to earlier work on barriers and enablers of CCS in areas relying on fossil industry.

Original languageEnglish
Article number102903
Number of pages10
JournalInternational Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control
Volume94
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2020
Externally publishedYes

Funding

This work is conducted as part of the ACT ACORN Project, which aims to work towards delivering a low-cost carbon capture and storage (CCS) system in the North Sea by 2023. ACT Acorn is funded by the Accelerating CCS technologies (ACT), the grant ID is ACT 691712, co-fund of ERA-NET under the Horizon 2020 programme. ACT comprises nine countries and the European Commission, who have collaborated in making funds available for CCS research and innovation. Our project has received funding from BEIS (UK), RCN (Norway) and RVO (The Netherlands). The ACT Acorn consortium is led by Pale Blue Dot Energy and includes Bellona Foundation, Heriot-Watt University, Radboud University, Scottish Carbon Capture & Storage, University of Aberdeen, University of Edinburgh and University of Liverpool. This work is conducted as part of the ACT ACORN Project, which aims to work towards delivering a low-cost carbon capture and storage (CCS) system in the North Sea by 2023. ACT Acorn is funded by the Accelerating CCS technologies (ACT) , the grant ID is ACT 691712 , co-fund of ERA-NET under the Horizon 2020 programme. ACT comprises nine countries and the European Commission , who have collaborated in making funds available for CCS research and innovation. Our project has received funding from BEIS (UK) , RCN (Norway) and RVO (The Netherlands) . The ACT Acorn consortium is led by Pale Blue Dot Energy and includes Bellona Foundation, Heriot-Watt University, Radboud University, Scottish Carbon Capture & Storage, University of Aberdeen, University of Edinburgh and University of Liverpool. Appendix A

FundersFunder number
Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland
European Commission
University of Liverpool
University of Edinburgh
European Union's Horizon 2020 - Research and Innovation Framework Programme2020

    Keywords

    • ACORN project
    • Carbon dioxide capture and storage
    • Just transition
    • Regional policy
    • Stakeholder understanding
    • Regional development

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