Progressing Scotland's CO2 storage opportunities

Carbon capture, transport and storage (CCS) is a rapidly growing industry that offers both environmental benefits and substantial business, employment and research opportunities for Scotland and the UK. In 20091 the report Opportunities for CO2 storage around Scotland identified the size of these opportunities and key initiatives that need to be acted upon to move CCS forward in Scotland. Government, industry and stakeholder organisations joined with Scottish Carbon Capture and Storage (SCCS) researchers in this Scottish Carbon Capture and Storage Development Study to progress some of the actions needed to inform the deployment of the entire CCS chain in Scotland and the UK. The study presents new insights on: • A path to CCS, defining the activities and timescales to meet national and international ambitions for deployment of CCS and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions; • Scotland’s CO2 storage assets, refining the estimated large–scale carbon dioxide (CO2) storage capacity in North Sea sandstones; • Skills and capacity needs for the future global CCS industry and how to realise opportunities it presents for UK economic development; • Public communication and engagement on CCS. A Path to Deployable CCS technologies was explored and mapped out by the study members in July 2009, prior to the commencement of the study. The path presents their view of the timescales and activities needed to implement CCS in Scotland which, adopted together with other low–carbon technologies, will contribute to the national target of 80% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This path has been adopted by the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise and has informed their document ‘Carbon Capture and Storage – a Roadmap for Scotland’ in 2010.