CO2 Capture Research in the Netherlands

Most scientists agree that in to mitigate climate change, global CO2 emissions must be reduced by at least 50 percent by 2050, (compared to 1990 levels). The present world emission is around 25 gigatonnes per year and increasing. In 1997, concrete targets were formulated in Kyoto for the gradual reduction in emissions.

The required reductions can be realized by means of an integrated package of measures known as the Trias Energetica:

1. Energy efficiency improvements
2. Use of sustainable and renewable energy sources
3. Clean use of fossil fuels.

Objectives
 Not only energy efficiency measures and an increased use of renewable energy sources, but also the "decarbonization" of fossil fuels, may be required to reach the stabilization of atmospheric CO2 concentration needed to recognize a fully renewable energy society. The CATO project aims to build a strong knowledge network in this field in the Netherlands. The project is structured in work packages:
● System analysis and transition
● Capture of CO2: post-combustion, pre-combustion and denitrogenated conversion
● Storage of CO2: storage in gas fields and storage in coal fields (ECBM)
● Mineralization: subsurface and surface
● Monitoring, safety and regulations
● Communication
● Management and knowledge transfer.

Benefits
The project seeks to create a network and knowledge infrastructure in the Netherlands to better understand and support a complex, long-term, transition process towards large scale deployment of Clean Fossil Fuel (CFF). All major stakeholders, and a number of research groups from different fields of expertise, are working together on the common objective within an integrated framework. This is essential as the implementation of these systems depends on performance and impact of all components of the system.