UKCCSRC signs MoU with CO2CRC to advance CCS research and technology

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We are pleased to announce that the UK Carbon Capture and Storage Research Community (UKCCSRC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CO2CRC Ltd to drive advancements in carbon capture and storage (CCS) research and technology.

This partnership represents a significant step towards addressing the urgent global challenge of climate change. We aim to enhance collaborative research across the entire CCS value chain – capture, transport, storage and long-term monitoring – while pursuing joint funding opportunities and sharing invaluable project data and insights.

Dr Jen Roberts, Deputy Director of UKCCSRC, said: “Carbon capture and storage is vital to meeting climate change targets. Collaborating with internationally respected researchers like CO2CRC maximises our impact, ensuring we deliver the technical innovations required to advance CCS and drive meaningful progress on climate action.”

This collaboration is particularly timely as both the UK and Australia have legislated ambitious emission reduction targets, aligning with the Paris Agreement and broader global net-zero commitments. The UK has committed to reducing emissions by 68% by 2030 and achieving net zero by 2050, while Australia’s Climate Change Act mandates a 43% emissions reduction by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050. These shared ambitions provide a strong foundation for advancing CCS, a critical technology highlighted by the IPCC and IEA as essential for reaching these targets.

Dr Matthias Raab, CEO of CO2CRC, emphasised: “Climate change is the defining challenge of our time, and meeting this challenge requires bold action and strong international partnerships. By working with world-leading research networks like UKCCSRC, we can develop, test and deploy cutting-edge technologies to achieve globally impactful solutions and deliver real progress toward net zero.”

This partnership underscores the immense potential of international collaboration in meeting global climate objectives and unlocking new opportunities for industries transitioning to a low-carbon future.

There was a significant moment yesterday for global CCS research and development as Jon Gibbins (UKCCSRC), Stuart Haszeldine (SCCS) and Xueping Peng (GEDI) exchanged a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to mark the 10th anniversary of the UK-China (Guangdong) CCUS Centre.

Caroline Wilson DCMG, British Ambassador to China, and Shaokang Zhang, Vice Governor of the People’s Government of Guangdong Province, were also present to applaud this important reaffirmation of China/UK climate change mitigation cooperation, with the Rt Hon Graham Stuart MP, Minister of State (Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero), remotely delivering one of the event’s opening speeches.

The UK-China (Guangdong) CCUS Centre is a non-profit organisation initiated by Guangdong Electric Power Design Institute Co. Ltd. of China Energy Engineering Group (GEDI), UK CCS Research Centre (UKCCSRC) and Scottish CCS Centre (SCCS), to advance the development of CCUS technologies and other near-zero emission solutions in China, aiming to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and address the pressing challenges presented by climate change.

Following ten years of successful collaboration, GEDI, UKCCSRC and SCCS agreed to extend their MoU for another ten years, focusing their efforts on the following critical areas:

1. Providing independent expert advice for policymakers and regulators
2. Fostering CCUS-related research and development collaboration
3. Facilitating knowledge exchange between CCUS projects and clusters
4. Accelerating the strengthening of the supply chain to reduce costs
5. Supporting the successful deployment of CCUS
6. Promoting ‘best practice’ communication across all facets of CCUS