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Carbon capture and storage is “a necessity, not an option” for the UK’s ambition to transition to net zero by 2050 The UK is well placed to lead in CCUS globally with: - A worldwide reputation as an international centre of engineering excellence - Extensive experience from the oil, gas and petrochemicals sector - Substantial CO2 storage potential and industrial infrastructure e.g. gas network The UK is a first mover; we will support the establishment of at least two low carbon CCUS clusters by the mid- 2020s and a further two by 2030 through which we aim to capture 20-30MtCO2 per year.

Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage (CCUS) will reduce the risk and cost of the UK's transition to a low carbon energy system, according to this report delivered by the Energy Systems Catapult for the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI).

'Still in the mix? Understanding the role of Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage', takes into account recent cost reductions in renewables and the latest ETI modelling on CCUS costs. The report reaffirms previous ETI work on the importance of CCUS deployment by 2030 and ETI analysis that if CCUS is not developed at all before 2050, the 'national bill' for low carbon energy that year would be circa £35bn higher - equivalent to circa 1% of expected GDP.

The report highlights gas power with CCUS (up to 3GW) as an effective low carbon electricity option that can be deployed cost-effectively before 2030 within an electricity generation mix that meets the 5th carbon budget. The report concludes that early investment in gas power CCUS in favourable locations for a CCUS industrial cluster represents the most straightforward, deliverable and best value approach to early deployment of the technology.

Key points:

This new report supports extensive research that has consistently demonstrated that Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage (CCUS) deployment is a key component in minimising costs in the transition to a low carbon energy system.

New electricity system analysis shows that the UK is likely to need low carbon baseload generation to complement renewables - gas power with CCUS and new nuclear are worthy of comparable effort.

If CCUS is not deployed by 2030 carbon abatement costs will rise to circa £1 billion a year - and could double before 2050

Gas power stations with CCUS fitted can provide anchor loads for CO2 pipelines and stores that serve emerging CCUS clusters, unlocking a pathway for CCUS to cut emissions in industry and support hydrogen production.

The ETI has spent 10 years carrying out extensive research on the deployment of CCUS and for this report commissioned analysis from Baringa Partners and Frontier Economics. Baringa explored cost-optimal pathways for decarbonising electricity out to 2050 with a focus on the pre-2030s. Frontier Economics produced illustrative analysis against a baseline scenario informed by the assumptions constructed by Baringa's work.

For bioenergy to sustainably deliver around 10% of UK energy demand in the 2050s, a mixture of UK-grown biomass, residual waste streams and imported biomass will be needed. Expanding UK biomass production will require the UK to make more effective use of new and existing forestry and expand production of second generation energy crops, such as Miscanthus, Short Rotation Coppice willow and Short Rotation Forestry. The ETI�s Characterisation of Feedstocks (CoF) project was carried out by Forest Research and Uniper Technologies Ltd and ran from February 2015 to March 2017. Its purpose was to develop our understanding of the variability of different UK-produced bioenergy feedstocks and the causes of this variation. This project has generated valuable data on the composition of UK-grown feedstocks and their provenance. Some findings from the project corroborated existing knowledge and practice but others, such as the impact of storage type on Miscanthus bale quality, challenge existing assumptions and warrant further research. The testing of Miscanthus pellets also highlights the potential for the pelleting process to unintentionally affect the composition of the pellets, with potentially detrimental impacts on a downstream conversion technology. The TEABPP (Techno-Economic Assessment of Biomass Pre-Processing) project developed a process model which uses best available data to model bioenergy value chains with and without pre-processing. Whilst the model results from the TEABPP project did not highlight many clear circumstances in the UK under which pre-processing would reduce the costs of the bioenergy value chains considered, it did show that most conversion technologies would have to operate with feedstocks characteristics outside of their normal operating range if using Miscanthus, SRC willow or SRF.

In November 2024, the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee launched an inquiry to consider the policy, market and regulatory reforms needed to support the growth of community energy and realise in full the sector�s potential contributions to achieving the UK�s net zero targets. UKERC welcomes this inquiry and the UK government�s ambition to achieve clean power by 2030, including 8GW of local and community-owned energy.

CREDS responds to consultations and calls for evidence from government, agencies and businesses, providing insight and expertise to decision-makers.

This report explores the critical role of flexibility in the ongoing transformation of the Great Britain power system toward Clean Power 2030, and the broader net zero target. This report emphasises the importance of flexibility for maintaining system security and balancing supply and demand under physical and operational constraints.

This working paper examines the extent to which environmental protection is integrated into current decision-making processes related to the transformation in energy infrastructure that is required to reach net zero. This working paper discusses the extent of integration of energy and environment policy, barriers to deployment of renewables, and initiatives relating to spatial energy planning. It also discusses the extent of cross-boundary cooperation between England, Scotland and Wales as well as the need for �upskilling� practitioners and policy makers in a fast-evolving energy technology arena.

In the context of UK energy system decarbonisation, the value of bioenergy within the energy system is greatest when combined with CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) to deliver negative emissions. Strategies to develop a CCS sector in the UK must include Bioenergy with CCS (BECCS). In the absence of CCS, the value of bioenergy is greatest when producing gaseous or liquid fuels for use in sectors which are otherwise difficult to decarbonise, and where no lower-carbon options are readily available. The flexibility of gasification with syngas clean-up makes it resilient to wider energy system decisions. Investment is needed to deploy this technology at a commercial scale. The UK has the potential to increase biomass feedstock production in ways which deliver additional environmental benefits. Greater focus is needed on developing markets and business models which encourage new planting in suitable locations. To develop and expand the UK bioenergy sector sustainably and in a way which is strategically valuable to the UK�s decarbonisation efforts, action must be taken to develop sustainable feedstocks supplies and demonstrate the technical and commercial viability of key technologies. This report sets out four key recommendations to help the UK capitalise on key opportunities to develop the bioenergy sector: Create the right environment for BECCS in the UK, which through deployment can significantly reduce the cost of meeting the UK�s 2050 emissions targets and increase the likelihood that the UK can deliver net-zero emissions. Develop gasification for the production of clean syngas from biomass and wastes to enable the bioenergy sector to remain robust to changes elsewhere in the energy system. Increase biomass production and the supply of sustainable biomass for bioenergy in the UK, and maximise the use of appropriate residual waste resources for energy, to enable the delivery of greater emissions savings at a system level. Deliver more physically and chemically consistent feedstocks to end users, through improvements in plant breeding and pre-processing, and/or develop conversion technologies more resilient to variations in feedstock composition.

New UKERC modelling is assessing the interactions between transmission build-rates and the possible introduction of zonal pricing in the British electricity market. It cautions that investors currently face high uncertainty, and considerable volume of sales risks, with a material impact on renewable energy auctions that are essential for meeting clean power 2030 targets. The analysis suggests that implementing zonal pricing before resolving transmission uncertainties risks exposing investors to unnecessary risks that could negate zonal pricing�s benefits.

New UKERC modelling is assessing the interactions between transmission build-rates and the possible introduction of zonal pricing in the British electricity market. It cautions that investors currently face high uncertainty, and considerable volume of sales risks, with a material impact on renewable energy auctions that are essential for meeting clean power 2030 targets. The analysis suggests that implementing zonal pricing before resolving transmission uncertainties risks exposing investors to unnecessary risks that could negate zonal pricing�s benefits. Initial findings were published in a Discussion Paper in March 2025. This Working Paper provides additional methodological detail.