The sites of the EU CCS demonstration policy

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) combines several techniques in order to capture carbon dioxide emitted by industrial and energy production processes, transport it and store it in geological reservoirs. It aims at isolating carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere for long time periods. The concept was invented by researchers in the 1970s and gained international attention since the 1990's. Industrial projects applying CCS are currently in place in different parts of the world, mostly in relation with enhanced oil recovery. In the EU, CCS policy emerged during the last decade. The European Commission, in partnership with industry players, has committed to a process of CCS "demonstration" aimed at developing 12 large-scale demonstrators by 2015. The emergence of EU CCS policy was marked by intense debates especially with regards to the risks associated with the technology, its cost, degree of maturity, and relevance (end-of-pipe technology) for the energy transition. I was also marked by local conflicts at the level of on-site project development. The presentation analyzes this process, pointing at the role of various players (climate arenas, scientists, experts, NGO's) and on-site processes in the development of EU CCS demonstration policy.