CCS - A new green industry for the UK

07.12.2010

Scientists say the UK can develop a new green industry by capturing harmful carbon dioxide emissions from industry and storing them deep underground, in new research published today.

The authors, from the Grantham Institute for Climate Change at Imperial College London, also say the necessary technology and infrastructure will need more investment to put in place.

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology has been used extensively in the oil industry to recover fossil fuels from reserves and trap waste emissions in rock. However, it has never been used on a large scale to capture emissions from industry and power plants.

Professor Martin Blunt, briefing paper author and Head of the Department of Earth Science and Engineering at Imperial College London, said:

“The UK is in a unique position to really capitalise on CCS technology, thanks to a combination of industry expertise, the right kind of geology and concentration of industry along the coast.

“We could be a beacon to other countries, showing them how new industries could help mitigate the effects of climate change and generate jobs in the process.”

To read the full story, click here.