In a speech at the Carbon Capture and Storage Association (CCSA), the energy secretary Claire Coutinho laid our her support for the technology, and said the UK had made progress.
She also outlined the government’s commitment to put £20 billion into early deployment of the technology, including two carbon capture clusters in the North East and Scotland, which she said could help to secure thousands of jobs.
“We’ve already cut our own carbon emissions in half in just 30 years and boosted our share of renewables from 7% in our energy output in 2010 to almost half today,” she said.
“Of all the major economies, we have set the toughest targets and thanks in no small part to our energy industry, we have exceeded all of them. But the challenges ahead are significant. How do we accelerate those reductions?,” she said.
She outlined her support for the technology to be used in the UK, “Britain’s vast potential means I believe we can lead the world in safely capturing and storing carbon dioxide.”
“Creating a path for industries which cannot decarbonise at the pace we require – like cement and chemicals – to join the green revolution.”
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CCUS will also help ensure the reliability of electricity supplies, bolstering future of energy security and helping to regenerate communities across the country.
The minister added that the announcements put the government on track to achieve between 20 and 30 million tonnes of captured and stored carbon dioxide a year, which is the equivalent of taking between 4 and 6 million cars off the road each year from 2030.
The statements follow criticism of the Prime Minister for his decision to expand oil and gas drilling in to the North Sea, and to favour carbon capture as a means to cut the UK’s emissions rather than reducing the oil and gas sectors.
