1. Research Councils UK
Energy Programme
An update on our support for CCS
research
Jacqui Williams

2. Carbon Capture and Storage in
the Energy Programme
CCS has been identified as a priority area for the Energy
Programme. We now support over £38M in current grants for 36
research and capacity building projects in CCS and we will
maintain our support at this level
New announcements:
New £13m UK Centre for CCS Research (£10m EPSRC, £3m
DECC)
4 new projects on CCS for natural gas (EPSRC)
2 new projects funded through responsive mode (EPSRC)

3. Background to the UK CCS Research Centre
A number of different centres were being established
creating confusion for external stakeholders.
November 2010: Meeting called at DECC to discuss
this situation.
Resulting consultation proposed that one centre would
better place the UK to compete internationally.
Leading research groups brought together by the
funders to form an interim management group to
develop the centre concept based on bringing together
existing grants and facilities.
October/November : funds became available and this
group was invited to submit a bid to EPSRC, and to
DECC for capital funds.
3 April: new Centre announced.

4. Role of UK CCS Research Centre
Focus on underpinning science, and seek additional support to
address more applied research.
Be used as a vehicle to pull together and coordinate CCS research
in the UK, improving cooperation between researchers and taking a
whole systems approach as appropriate.
Be a route for industry and other stakeholder involvement in
research and for knowledge exchange and input to policy.
Look at medium to long term challenges such as those defined in
the DECC R&D roadmap, and develop a strategy on how to work
towards how meeting them and helping to accelerate the
deployment of CCS.
Connect with applied research through other funding agencies and
industry.
Lead on coordinating international CCS activities and raising the
UK’s profile and ability to compete internationally.
Managing data, knowledge and facilities as appropriate.
Consider the postgraduate training and skills needs for CCS.

5. UK Centre for CCS Research
£13m grant coordinated by Edinburgh with Jon Gibbins as the
Director.
Initially involves members from 10 institutions, with scope for
many more members to become involved.
RAPID process will inform research strategy including allocation of
Centre’s own research funding.
Overseen by an independent Board appointed by EPSRC.
Will continue the UK CCS community network after the end of the
original grant.
Research facilities including:
-Pilot scale advanced testing facilities in Yorkshire with a 1 tonne CO2 per
day amine capture facility
- A mobile testing unit to allow a range of tests on real power station flue
gases
- Advanced oxyfuel fluidised bed and chemical looping pilot facilities

6. New CCS gas projects
Adsorption materials and process for carbon capture
from gas-fired power plants (Brandani, Edinburgh)
Effective adsorbents for establishing solids looping as
a next generation NG PCC technology (Liu,
Nottingham)
Gas- future advanced capture technology options
consortium (Gibbins/Pourkashanian, Edinburgh/Leeds)
Computation modelling and optimisation of carbon
capture research (Gu, Cranfield)

7. CCS existing support
UK CCS community network
4 Consortia researching carbon capture and transport (3 jointly supported
with E.ON). £6.5m investment.
Projects on Cleaner Fossil Fuels and CCS technologies in collaboration
with China (NSFC).
Capacity building award for 6 new lectureships in CCS to Edinburgh and
Heriot-Watt universities.
Centre for Innovation in CCS at the University of Nottingham.
Multiscale whole systems modelling and analysis for CO2 capture,
transport and storage
Quantifying and monitoring potential ecosystems impacts of geological
carbon storage
3 projects in nanotechnology – carbon capture and utilisation
CCS: Realising the potential (through UKERC)
CRIUS project which seeks to evaluate the kinetics of fluid-rock
interactions in reservoirs
Centres for Doctoral Training/Engineering Doctorate Centre
Also British Geological Survey activities, and PML, NOCs.

8. Growth in Annual Expenditure by
Research Theme, 2002-2011

9. Energy Programme CCS current activities
Calls
Fellowship call: early career and established career proposals
invited in CCS. Out now.
Future activities
Stage gating of carbon capture and utilisation projects
Grand Challenge in CCS (most likely “Engineering Challenges of
carbon storage”)
Storage activity led by NERC
Responsive mode support available
We have hugely increased the support for research and capacity
building in CCS and will maintain support at this level. We are
consider the next challenges e.g. next generation capture,
injection, MMV.
Working with the Centre and network.

10. Thank you for your attention.
Any questions?