Europe’s Coal Supply Security: Obstacles to Carbon Capture, Transport and Storage

This paper examines the obstacles to transforming the ‘dirtiest’ of all fossil fuels (coal) into a ‘clean’ one in the EU, via new carbon capture, transport and storage (CCTS) technology. Research for this paper was carried out in the context of the SECURE project (Security of Energy Considering its Uncertainties, Risks and Economic Implications), funded by the European Commission under the Seventh Framework Programme. The project aims to develop appropriate tools for evaluating the vulnerability of the EU to the different energy supply risks, and for promoting the optimisation of EU energy insecurity mitigation strategies, including investment, demand side management and dialogue with producing countries.
At the time of writing this Policy Brief, Herold, Hirschhausen, and Rüster were with Dresden University of Technology. Herold and Hirschhausen are now with TU Berlin, and Rüster is with the European University Institute, Florence. Haftendorn Holz, and Neumann are with DIW Berlin.