Carbon capture and storage (CCS, also called carbon sequestration), is viewed by the Commission as a potentially important technology to fight climate change.
The technology separates carbon dioxide from gases produced by large stationary power plants, compresses the CO2 and then transports it to a location where it can be stored in geological formations such as oil and gas fields. Applied in this way, the technology also allows for enhanced recovery of oil from ageing fields, prolonging their life duration.
CCS could remove 80-90% of CO2 emissions from power plants if successful, according to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and could reduce the costs of stabilising the CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere by up to 30%.
The planned consultation comes in the wake of the Commission's energy and climate- change package of 10 January 2007, which highlighted the importance of CCS in creating "a low CO2 fossil fuel future", especially given Commission estimates that: "Coal and gas account for over 50% of the EU's electricity supply and will remain an important part of our energy mix."
However, environmental groups fear that CCS will prolong the world's oil dependence and divert investments from renewable energy. Critics also argue that since the technology is still in the development stage, there is no proof that CO2 can be stored for long periods and that therefore there are risks of leakage.
The consultation will be part of initial preparations for a legislative proposal on the issue and will examine the risks associated with capture, transport and storage, while paying particular emphasis on possible detrimental effects on the environment.
The consultation, to begin on 19 February, will run until 16 April 2007 on this website.
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