Greenhouse gas removal technologies   |   Study

Greenhouse Gas Removal Technologies study: Call for evidence

Understanding how different engineering solutions should be evaluated, supported and deployed to support the UK's net zero ambitions.

Tagged: Environment

Introduction

The government has asked the National Infrastructure Commission to provide recommendations on the technologies that should be deployed to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and deliver negative emissions.

Our approach will be informed by the terms of reference for the Greenhouse Gas Removal Technologies Study. The focus will be on policies needed to incentivise the rollout of these technologies and the timeline for decisions that need to be made by government to enable the UK to use greenhouse gas removal technologies to support delivery of a net zero economy.
The study is complementary to wider consultation by government on the role of greenhouse gas removal technologies. In undertaking its independent study, the Commission will:

  1. assess Greenhouse Gas Removal (GGR) technologies to understand technology readiness levels, investment needed, input requirements, output levels and the best locations for GGR technologies
  2. consider market mechanisms and policy frameworks to support deployment and ongoing operation
  3. consider the required development and deployment timelines from both a policy, engineering and planning perspective to support the setting of realistic targets for government on when actions will be needed.

The Commission is limiting the scope of the study to engineering-based approaches with Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage (DACCS) and Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) being the most developed options. Nature-based solutions are likely to be an important part of the system to reduce emissions but they are out of scope of this study.
The Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Greenhouse Gas Removals Call for Evidence is also looking at GGR technologies and it covers the broader role of GGRs, including nature-based approaches and options for GGR monitoring and reporting. The Commission is interested in some of the areas covered by the BEIS call for evidence and there are related questions included in this call for evidence. Please see the ‘How to respond’ section for details on how you can align your response to this call for evidence with your submission to BEIS. The Commission’s recommendations will feed into the government’s broader GGR strategic approach.

A .pdf copy of the call for evidence is available to download using the button below.

Update: this call for evidence closed on 3 March 2021.

Drax Power Station at sunset, near Selby North Yorkshire

Status:  Completed

Greenhouse gas removal technologies

A study examining how emerging greenhouse gas removal technologies can support the UK's climate ambitions.

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