You may perhaps remember it, the International Energy Agency is banking a lot on carbon capture and storage (CCS). Indeed, the IEA believes that it could account for 15 % of greenhouse gases emissions reductions.
However, CleanTechnica got an interesting article on how this solution fails to deliver. One of the main reasons is that ” globally there are now fewer than half a dozen full-scale CCS projects in operation around the world. “
I believe we should stop banking on this technology. I previously wrote that it won’t solve the climate change problem as it is is too risky, too expansive, too little and… too late.
This technology would be used for coal and natural gas fired plants. But we have seen that improving efficiency of our economies and increasing energy sobriety would do wonders. I previously noted that the USA could be coal-free by 2030. Thus, they wouldn’t need CCS to cut their emissions.
If America can cut its emissions by saying bye-bye to coal by 2030, I believe the older members of the EU could too. (It would prove tricky in some Western European nations where coal is still behind the huge majority of electricity production. )
And you, do you believe in CCS ?