UK to work with Canada to develop CCS technology

Governments sign research and knowledge sharing agreement

The UK and Canadian governments have signed an agreement to work together on research and knowledge sharing for carbon capture and storage (CCS).

The Joint Statement identifies how the UK and Canada will work together on research and innovation co-operation, knowledge sharing and international engagement and builds on the work both countries already undertake in increasing the use of low carbon technologies.

The countries will particularly focus on capture cost reduction, subsurface reservoir characterisation, enhanced oil recovery as a means of CO2 storage, measuring, monitoring and verification protocols, CO2 pipeline and infrastructure development, and public confidence and engagement.

Minister of state for energy, Matthew Hancock, said: “Carbon capture and storage could help us tackle climate change. I welcome the fact that the UK and Canada will be working together to advance the technology. Our agreement is an important step forward for the carbon capture and storage sector, and I look forward to further UK-Canada co-operation.”

Canada and the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia have invested more than $1.8 billion in CCS. It commissioned the world's first commercial-scale CCS coal power station in Saskatchewan, at the end of October.

Meanwhile, the UK launched a CCS Roadmap in April 2012, which includes a £1 billion CCS commercialisation programme, a £125 million four year co-ordinated R&D and innovation programme, incorporating a new UK CCS research centre.

The UK has two projects in the running for the commercialisation programme, the White Rose project at Drax and Scottish and Southern's Peterhead project.

Several other large-scale CCS projects are due to come online in the next two to three years, including in the US, Australia and Holland.