Carbon capture in Europe is a 'farce'

Europe’s efforts to develop a carbon capture and storage (CCS) industry have “turned into a farce”, according to a new report.

The paper, funded by the Global CCS Institute, states that Brussels may need to adopt a target analogous to its renewable energy goals to kick-start the technology.

It claims early momentum behind the technology has been lost as two separate European funding mechanisms failed to award funding to any projects.

Alongside this, it believes public perception of CCS has become increasingly negative.

“Policymakers seem at a loss as to what they are attempting to achieve, let alone where they might find the money required,” the report said.

“Industry is split between those who can offer the technology and those seeking to avoid paying for it.

“In some member states, even the environmental groups are opposed to CCS. What should have been an international success story for Europe has turned into a farce.”

In 2007, the EU set a target of having 12 commercial-scale projects operational by 2015.

The paper highlights that two years before this date there are no new projects of that scale under construction and the EU is rapidly losing ground to the US, Canada and China.