Prospects for CO2 Capture and Storage.

Fossil fuels will be used extensively over the next half century with significant CO2 emissions as a consequence. However, carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) technologies can drastically reduce these emissions. This IEA study introduces a scenario analysis of the future role of CCS and presents the main uncertainties that surround a CCS policy strategy. Results show that an aggressive policy of developing and deploying CCS technologies could achieve substantial reductions in world-wide CO2 emissions. Although its main role would be in the electricity sector, interesting possibilities exist also in manufacturing and in the production of transportation fuels. This book provides detailed estimates of the likely CO2 reductions available from CCS under a variety of technological and economic scenarios. Coal remains an important fuel in all of these scenarios, improving the security of our overall energy supply and resulting in economic benefits. With sufficient technology investment, and after successfully solving various environmental and legal issues, CCS can provide a way to curb GHG emissions while achieving, strong economic growth. To accomplish this, governments need to take action now to ensure that CCS technologies are developed and deployed on a large scale during the next decades. Additional policies will be needed to remove barriers and reduce uncertainties. The analysis in this volume is a tool to accelerate the design of more effective and efficient energy and environmental policies through technology.