ACCSESS
In 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published their Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C, underscoring the imperative for substantial action to attain climate neutrality. The EU’s Green Deal marked a pivotal moment in the EU’s effort to achieve its climate goals by establishing ambitious climate targets, aiming to slash net greenhouse gas emissions by a minimum of 55% by 2030 (in comparison to 1990 levels) and attaining net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Achieving these objectives will necessitate more than just a substantial reduction in our current and future greenhouse gas emissions; it will also require the removal of excess greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) stands as the primary greenhouse gas, with hard-to-abate industries being major contributors to overall CO2 emissions. Implementing CO2 capture, transport, and storage (CCS) can notably curtail CO2 emissions stemming from these hard-to-abate sectors.
In this context a four-year project ACCSESS, funded by the EU’s flagship research and innovation program Horizon, set out to demonstrate the technologies and produce tools and plans that would enable a widespread CCS deployment in Europe. ACCSESS unites researchers and stakeholders in the field of carbon capture and storage (CCS) from various European nations. This collaborative initiative aims to expedite the implementation of CCS technology by focusing on innovation in CO2 capture processes, their associated systems, and societal considerations. Additionally, ACCSESS will delve into achieving substantial reductions in CO2 emissions and their removal in four pivotal industries (pulp and paper, waste-to-energy, cement, and biorefineries). By doing so, ACCSESS will play a vital role in bolstering the drive towards widespread adoption of CCS technology in Europe and will furnish adaptable CCS strategies for realizing a climate-neutral Europe by 2050.
Under the auspices of ACCSESS, sus.lab has been analyzing the key regulatory, governance, ownership, and financial considerations for a cross-border CCUS chain. This includes two key tasks on the assessment of current regulatory framework and identification of gaps, and the development of governance and ownership options for a CO2 transport network including the possible funding mechanisms on a regional, national, and trans-national level.
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