• Energy Research

Research to date has identified cost and lack of support from stakeholders as two key barriers to the development of a carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) industry that is capable of effectively mitigating climate change. This paper responds to these challenges through systematic evaluation of the research and development process for the Acorn CCS project, a project designed to develop a scalable, full-chain CCS project on the north-east coast of the UK. Through assessment of Acorn's publicly-available outputs, we identify strategies which may help to enhance the viability of early-stage CCS projects. Initial capital costs can be minimised by infrastructure re-use, particularly pipelines, and by re-use of data describing the subsurface acquired during oil and gas exploration activity. Also, development of the project in separate stages of activity (e.g. different phases of infrastructure re-use and investment into new infrastructure) enables cost reduction for future build-out phases. Additionally, engagement of regional-level policy makers may help to build stakeholder support by situating CCS within regional decarbonisation narratives. We argue that these insights may be translated to general objectives for any CCS project sharing similar characteristics such as legacy infrastructure, industrial clusters and an involved stakeholder-base that is engaged with the fossil fuel industry. © 2019 The authors want to thank the entire ACT Acorn team for their support. The ACT Acorn project was funded by Accelerating CCS Technologies under Horizon 2020. Alcalde is currently funded by EIT Raw Materials – SIT4ME project (17024). Peer reviewed

Research to date has identified cost and lack of support from stakeholders as two key barriers to the development of a carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) industry that is capable of effectively mitigating climate change. This paper responds to these challenges through systematic evaluation of the research and development process for the Acorn CCS project, a project designed to develop a scalable, full-chain CCS project on the north-east coast of the UK. Through assessment of Acorn's publicly-available outputs, we identify strategies which may help to enhance the viability of early-stage CCS projects. Initial capital costs can be minimised by infrastructure re-use, particularly pipelines, and by re-use of data describing the subsurface acquired during oil and gas exploration activity. Also, development of the project in separate stages of activity (e.g. different phases of infrastructure re-use and investment into new infrastructure) enables cost reduction for future build-out phases. Additionally, engagement of regional-level policy makers may help to build stakeholder support by situating CCS within regional decarbonisation narratives. We argue that these insights may be translated to general objectives for any CCS project sharing similar characteristics such as legacy infrastructure, industrial clusters and an involved stakeholder-base that is engaged with the fossil fuel industry. © 2019 The authors want to thank the entire ACT Acorn team for their support. The ACT Acorn project was funded by Accelerating CCS Technologies under Horizon 2020. Alcalde is currently funded by EIT Raw Materials – SIT4ME project (17024). Peer reviewed

Throughout the past years, the first carbon credits – though not yet certified by the UNFCCC – have been traded. The technologies used, project size and regional preferences of carbon transactions via Joint Implementation and the Clean Development Mechanism approved under major programmes are reviewed in this paper. The current full JI and CDM project portfolio aims to reduce some 100 MtCO2-eq. This market is highly monopsonic; the buyers determine which credits are sold. The 12 JI projects are mainly implemented in Romania and Poland and constitute a diverse technology portfolio. Most of the 37 CDM projects are implemented in Latin America. Hydro and wind energy projects dominate in terms of numbers of projects. One large-scale fuel switch and one afforestation project bias the portfolio in terms of absolute CO2 reduction. Comments are made on the baseline consistency and additionality of the currently selected projects. The assessment of emissions trading programmes is more difficult than that of separate projects, because of the characteristics of an emissions trading market. Yet, depending on the starting conditions, the ET programmes vary in their success.

Throughout the past years, the first carbon credits – though not yet certified by the UNFCCC – have been traded. The technologies used, project size and regional preferences of carbon transactions via Joint Implementation and the Clean Development Mechanism approved under major programmes are reviewed in this paper. The current full JI and CDM project portfolio aims to reduce some 100 MtCO2-eq. This market is highly monopsonic; the buyers determine which credits are sold. The 12 JI projects are mainly implemented in Romania and Poland and constitute a diverse technology portfolio. Most of the 37 CDM projects are implemented in Latin America. Hydro and wind energy projects dominate in terms of numbers of projects. One large-scale fuel switch and one afforestation project bias the portfolio in terms of absolute CO2 reduction. Comments are made on the baseline consistency and additionality of the currently selected projects. The assessment of emissions trading programmes is more difficult than that of separate projects, because of the characteristics of an emissions trading market. Yet, depending on the starting conditions, the ET programmes vary in their success.

AbstractThe Netherlands aims to have a climate‐neutral society in 2050, for which a timely climate neutrality of the energy system is crucial. This is challenging as its geographical location with deep sea harbours and abundant low‐cost natural gas have led to a relatively high energy intensity of its economy as well as vast accumulation of fossil assets in industry. The energy system is strongly intertwined with other systems, and relevant knowledge is spread across scientific disciplines including finance, innovation, geography, governance, economics, and psychology. This is why the Dutch minister for Climate and Energy asked a team of experts from across all these disciplines for advice on how to achieve a climate‐neutral energy system. This study reports on the results of a participative modelling exercise with these experts that was organized to foster a shared understanding of the complexity of the Dutch energy system. The multidisciplinary approach identifies governance, fairness, and trust as high leverage points, and we propose policies that intervene in these variables. We contribute to the literature around climate policy by exhibiting the relevance of understanding the interrelations between the disciplines, leading to recommendations for climate policies that are more effective because they acknowledge and do justice to the interrelated nature of the energy system. Although other articles have proposed similar policies, our study is different because we suggest how the structure of the system can lead to tipping dynamics, thereby providing a new logic of why these policies deserve more attention.

AbstractThe Netherlands aims to have a climate‐neutral society in 2050, for which a timely climate neutrality of the energy system is crucial. This is challenging as its geographical location with deep sea harbours and abundant low‐cost natural gas have led to a relatively high energy intensity of its economy as well as vast accumulation of fossil assets in industry. The energy system is strongly intertwined with other systems, and relevant knowledge is spread across scientific disciplines including finance, innovation, geography, governance, economics, and psychology. This is why the Dutch minister for Climate and Energy asked a team of experts from across all these disciplines for advice on how to achieve a climate‐neutral energy system. This study reports on the results of a participative modelling exercise with these experts that was organized to foster a shared understanding of the complexity of the Dutch energy system. The multidisciplinary approach identifies governance, fairness, and trust as high leverage points, and we propose policies that intervene in these variables. We contribute to the literature around climate policy by exhibiting the relevance of understanding the interrelations between the disciplines, leading to recommendations for climate policies that are more effective because they acknowledge and do justice to the interrelated nature of the energy system. Although other articles have proposed similar policies, our study is different because we suggest how the structure of the system can lead to tipping dynamics, thereby providing a new logic of why these policies deserve more attention.