Research Councils UKEnergy Programme

An update on our support for CCS research

Jacqui Williams

Carbon Capture and Storage in the Energy Programme

CCS has been identified as a priority area for the Energy Programme. We now support over £38M in current grants for 36 research and capacity building projects in CCS and we will maintain our support at this level

New announcements:

New £13m UK Centre for CCS Research (£10m EPSRC, £3m DECC)4 new projects on CCS for natural gas (EPSRC)2 new projects funded through responsive mode (EPSRC)

Background to the UK CCS Research Centre

A number of different centres were being established creating confusion for external stakeholders.

November 2010: Meeting called at DECC to discuss this situation.

Resulting consultation proposed that one centre would better place the UK to compete internationally.

Leading research groups brought together by the funders to form an interim management group to develop the centre concept based on bringing together existing grants and facilities.

October/November : funds became available and this group was invited to submit a bid to EPSRC, and to DECC for capital funds.3 April: new Centre announced.

Role of UK CCS Research CentreFocus on underpinning science, and seek additional support to address more applied research.

Be used as a vehicle to pull together and coordinate CCS research in the UK, improving cooperation between researchers and taking a whole systems approach as appropriate.

Be a route for industry and other stakeholder involvement in research and for knowledge exchange and input to policy.

Look at medium to long term challenges such as those defined in the DECC R&D roadmap, and develop a strategy on how to work towards how meeting them and helping to accelerate the deployment of CCS.

Connect with applied research through other funding agencies andindustry.

Lead on coordinating international CCS activities and raising the UK’s profile and ability to compete internationally.Managing data, knowledge and facilities as appropriate.Consider the postgraduate training and skills needs for CCS.

UK Centre for CCS Research

£13m grant coordinated by Edinburgh with Jon Gibbins as the Director.

Initially involves members from 10 institutions, with scope for many more members to become involved.

RAPID process will inform research strategy including allocation of Centre’s own research funding.Overseen by an independent Board appointed by EPSRC.

Will continue the UK CCS community network after the end of the original grant.Research facilities including:

-Pilot scale advanced testing facilities in Yorkshire with a 1 tonne CO2 per day amine capture facility

- A mobile testing unit to allow a range of tests on real power station flue gases

- Advanced oxyfuel fluidised bed and chemical looping pilot facilities

New CCS gas projects

Adsorption materials and process for carbon capture from gas-fired power plants (Brandani, Edinburgh)

Effective adsorbents for establishing solids looping as a next generation NG PCC technology (Liu, Nottingham)

Gas- future advanced capture technology options consortium (Gibbins/Pourkashanian, Edinburgh/Leeds)

Computation modelling and optimisation of carbon capture research (Gu, Cranfield)

CCS existing support

UK CCS community network

4 Consortia researching carbon capture and transport (3 jointly supported with E.ON). £6.5m investment.

Projects on Cleaner Fossil Fuels and CCS technologies in collaboration with China (NSFC).

Capacity building award for 6 new lectureships in CCS to Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt universities.Centre for Innovation in CCS at the University of Nottingham.Multiscale whole systems modelling and analysis for CO2 capture,transport and storage Quantifying and monitoring potential ecosystems impacts of geological carbon storage3 projects in nanotechnology – carbon capture and utilisation CCS: Realising the potential (through UKERC)CRIUS project which seeks to evaluate the kinetics of fluid-rock interactions in reservoirs

Centres for Doctoral Training/Engineering Doctorate CentreAlso British Geological Survey activities, and PML, NOCs.

Growth in Annual Expenditure by Research Theme, 2002-2011

Energy Programme CCS current activities

CallsFellowship call: early career and established career proposals invited in CCS. Out now.

Future activitiesStage gating of carbon capture and utilisation projectsGrand Challenge in CCS (most likely “Engineering Challenges of carbon storage”) Storage activity led by NERCResponsive mode support available

We have hugely increased the support for research and capacity building in CCS and will maintain support at this level. We are consider the next challenges e.g. next generation capture, injection, MMV.Working with the Centre and network.

Thank you for your attention.Any questions?