The
British government has launched a series of measures to secure national funding
for CCS projects. Among them are the competition for support to kick start a commercial scale CCS project which must be finished by 2014. Nine power companies took part in the race for the funding, and Kingsnorth (e.on) and Longannet has been chosen as the two finalist. The decision will be taken by the end of spring 2011.
Most UK enviromental NGOs support the building of CCS demos, and at the same time campaigning against building of new coal power plants. A CCS project at Longannet, it being an already excisting plant, is welcomed as a better solution.
At the trip to Scotland were several Norwegian environmental organisations represented, as well as union trade, industry and press. Being
able to test capture at both coal and gas, the MTU is seen as an important contribution to the development of CCS globally. And the delegation where eager to see the demo and getting updated information on status for UK CCS policy. At Longannet Scottish Power is preparing for installing the whole CCS chain with a consortium of partners involved; the capture technology is taken care of by Aker Clean Carbon and their patent amin solvents, the transport will use the National Grid pipelines and finally Shell is responsible for storing CO2 offshore at the Golden Eye platform.
With the latest development regarding CCS in Norway in mind, especially connected to the postponing of Mongstad to 2018, it was interesting to see a Norwegian company involved in a project which might be realized in full scale sooner. The governmental framework now under discussion in UK, with a combination of funding mechanisms, also on a long term basis - is promising and can work as an inspiration for industry and authorities globally.
