Sideways News

CCS could bring an extra £5 billion a year into the UK

Scientists have claimed that the UK could become the world leader in the field of carbon capture and storage (CCS) - where CO2 is removed from the atmosphere to cut emissions.

Attendees at this week's British Science Festival were told that the North Sea oil fields have the capacity to bury billions of tonnes of CO2 waste that could be sold off to other European countries.

The plan could also create jobs and scientists estimate that it could bring in an extra £5 billion for the country's economy by 2030.

However, Professor Stuart Haszeldine of the University of Edinburgh said the government must act now to take advantage of this lucrative opportunity.

Speaking at the University of Surrey in Guildford, he said: "What I'm pushing for is for the government to get on with it and build five of these platforms by 2016.

"We are in a world-beating position and must not lose the plot."

Many scientists have praised the possibilities of CCS as a solution to climate change and some estimates suggest it could help cut CO2 emissions by 90%.

There are three possible approaches to CSS - removing the carbon from coal before combustion, scrubbing it from exhaust gases afterwards or burning fuel with extra oxygen to produce cleaner fumes.

SIDEWAYS News for fresh perspectives