Abby L. Harvey
GHG Monitor
12/5/2014
The U.K. Department of Energy and Climate Change announced late last week that half of the £5 million in funding made available through phase four of the Energy Entrepreneurs Fund competition will be reserved for carbon capture and storage projects. “The CCS element builds on the success of the 2012 £20 [million] CCS Innovation Competition to reduce the costs of CCS by developing novel, more efficient, lower cost technologies, and developing the supply chain to reach our long term goal of cost competitive CCS in the 2020,” a DECC press release states.
The EEF scheme was announced in April 2012 to “assist small and medium-sized enterprises, including start-ups, and those companies that are selected will receive additional funding for incubation support,” according to the fund’s website. The previous three phases have not had a focus on CCS projects, though such projects were eligible. The decision to include allocated funds for CCS projects was made because “this innovative technology could enable us to decarbonise our future energy system in the most cost effective way. Fossil-fuel power plants and large energy-intensive industries are amongst the largest emitters of CO2 both in the UK and globally,” the release says.
Expressions of interest are due by Dec. 19 and applications must be submitted by Jan. 26, 2015. Applicants must be able to demonstrate; “the potential impact of the innovation on 2020 and/or 2050 low carbon targets or security of supply; the technical viability of their innovation and coherent development plan that will commercially progress the innovation; value for money, including any cost reduction potential; [and] the size and nature of the business opportunity,” the fund’s website says. Projects must be in the United Kingdom.
