Britain and China sign carbon capture agreement

The UK Carbon Capture and Storage Research Centre (UKCCSRC), Scottish Carbon Capture and Storage (SCCS), Guangdong Low-carbon Technology and Industry Research Centre (GDLRC) and the Clean Fossil Energy Development Institute (CFEDI) signed the ten-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today at Lancaster House, London.

Witnessed by governor Zhu Xiaodan of Guangdong Province, and minister Greg Barker of the UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), the agreement is expected to lead to the establishment of an international CCUS network, which will promote joint research and development, provide advice for local and regional governments and develop ways to exchange knowledge.

The partners plan to move rapidly towards demonstration of CCUS technologies in China, potentially within three to five years.

Barker and Xiaodan also concurrently signed a joint statement pledging a collaboration on low carbon development, including CCS technology, between the UK and China.

CCUS refers to a range of technologies that could significantly reduce carbon emissions worldwide. CO2 from power plants and industrial facilities can be captured and transported to underground storage sites where it can be geologically stored safely, thereby reducing emissions into the atmosphere.