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About the project

STRATEGY CCUS is an ambitious three-year project funded by the European Union to support the development of low-carbon energy and industry in Southern and Eastern Europe. Work began in May 2019, and the project will run until April 2022.

Scientists from ten European countries are working together to speed the development of carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) technology, which will deliver significant cuts in emissions from industrial and power sectors.

The project focuses on eight regions identified as promising for CCUS development. We aim to encourage and support initiatives within each region by producing local development plans and business models tailored to industry’s needs.

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Why does Europe need CCUS?

Carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) is a range of technologies, which can capture the large volumes of carbon dioxide (CO2) currently emitted to the atmosphere by industrial processes and power generation. The CO2 will be stored permanently in deep geological formations or used to manufacture useful products.

The International Energy Agency has warned that CCUS technologies are not developing fast enough to meet emissions reduction targets laid out in the Paris Agreement on climate action. CCUS is already operating worldwide and it can be delivered quickly and widely in the member states of Southern and Eastern Europe.

Our project name STRATEGY CCUS derives from our vision to deliver “Strategic planning of Regions and Territories in Europe for low-carbon energy and industry through CCUS Coordination and Support Action”.

 “STRATEGY CCUS is crucial to paving the way for operational CCUS sites from the early 2020s, as it will elaborate on the feasibility plans of promising regions and consider technical, economical and societal aspects. Countries bordering the North Sea are already discussing plans for CCUS development and offshore geological storage. There is thus an urgent need for the rest of Europe to engage in strategic planning for CCUS development, giving priority to local solutions before looking at wider European connection schemes.”