Zero Emission Technology

Ecoal December 2009, Volume 69

The European Technology Platform for Zero Emission Fossil Fuel Power Plants (ZEP) is a coalition of stakeholders - companies, scientists, academics and environmental NGOs - united in their support for CCS as a key technology for combating climate change, alongside renewables and energy efficiency.

ZEP has three main goals:

• Enable CCS as a key technology for combating climate change.
• Make CCS commercially viable by 2020 via an EU-backed demonstration programme.
• Accelerate R&D into next-generation CCS technology and its wide deployment post-2020.

Founded in 2005, ZEP is one of 35 European Technology Platforms initiated by the European Commission to bring together a range of stakeholders to guide the development and deployment of key technologies that will result in greater competitiveness, growth and sustainability in the EU - including CCS.

One of ZEP's strategic goals is to raise the awareness of EU opinion leaders of the need for, and workings of, CCS.

CCS Demonstration Programme

In November 2008, ZEP unveiled the first-ever proposal for an EU-wide CCS demonstration programme - a key step toward enabling the commercial viability of the technology by 2020 as requested by the EU heads of state and the G8. This roadmap was instrumental in aiding the EU to agree to co-fund such a demonstration programme in December 2008. With the intention to get up to 12 EU CCS demonstration plants up and running by 2015, the challenge is now to ensure the necessary conditions, regulations and funding are in place for industry to be able to begin building these demonstration projects by 2011.

New CCS Website

This year ZEP embarked on a project to launch a new public website which would seek to engage audiences and stakeholders on the many issues surrounding CCS. The idea was to create a platform where questions could be asked and answers provided, while showing visitors the breadth and depth of the CCS stakeholder community. The website includes three animations that seek to answer the key questions surrounding CCS: 'Why do we need it? - The Hard Facts'; 'How does it work? - Inside CCS'; and 'Can CO2 be safely stored? - Safe Storage'.

ZEP will be looking at other opportunities to further improve the site, add and update content and ensure that visitors are engaged in the debate about the portfolio of solutions we will need to tackle climate change.