UK industry responds to CCS funding call

18 February 2011, source edie newsroom

The government has received 14 applications for EU funding carbon capture and storage (CCS) and innovative renewables.

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The funding comes from the EU's New Entrant Reserve (NER) scheme, which has a pot of between Euro 4.5 to 9 billion to support such projects across the European Union.

The scheme is funded by the EU Emissions Trading Systme whereby 300 million allowances are sold off to provide funding for renewables and CCS technology.

Of the 14 applications, nine were for CCS projects and five for innovative renewables.

Energy Minister Charles Hendry said: "The strong level of interest received for CCS projects in particular is heartening - it shows that UK industry is keen to move forward in the development of CCS and confirms the lead that the UK is taking in this critical technology."

The government has until May 9 to assess the applications and decide which to put forward to the European Investment Bank for further consideration.

Of the nine CCS applications are:

·Three are based in Scotland, six in England - with four in the Humber and two in the Teeside regions
·Seven are to capture CO2 from coal-fired power stations and two are to capture the emissions from gas-fired plants
·Two are retrofits to existing power stations, and the other seven are new power plants providing vital additional energy supply capacity
·Five are for pre-combustion technology, three for post-combustion and one is for Oxyfuel

Of the five innovative renewable applications:

·Three are tidal stream projects based in Scotland
·One is a wave project based in Scotland
·One is an offshore wind project based in the North East of England Alison Brown