Enabling a Low-Carbon Economy via Hydrogen and CCS (ELEGANCY)

As the only technology that can substantially reduce CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels, CCS is an essential component in essentially all IPCC scenarios that limit global warming to below 2.3°C. Indeed, without CCS, it will be extremely difficult to keep the rise in global temperature within the limits set by the Paris Agreement. Yet there is a large disconnect between policy ambitions and technology readiness – and industrial uptake. This is mainly due to the lack of a business model: costs are immediate, but the benefits are long term. Similarly, the introduction of hydrogen (H₂) as a low-carbon fuel for heating, cooling, transport and industrial processes has been slower than desired. However, as the natural gas (NG) reforming for H₂ production also produces CO₂ using existing or new processes, this can provide the economic driver needed to fast-track CCS commercial deployment.

The ELEGANCY project will therefore provide three crucial benefits: 1) the decarbonization of heating and transport based on an existing fuel and infrastructure 2) a commercial model for industrial CCS and 3) the opportunity to broaden public awareness of CCS. This includes large-scale CO₂ transport and storage infrastructure for use by other sectors, as well as infrastructure for the rapid introduction of H₂ as an energy carrier, thus also opening the door for H₂ generated from spare capacity in renewable sources. It will also enable Europe to export extensive knowledge, products and technologies worldwide.

ELEGANCY will apply all its research findings, technologies and tools to five national case studies in order to identify cost-effective opportunities for H₂-CCS for each country represented in the consortium, providing key input for policy makers. ELEGANCY partners are world leaders in their respective fields, comprising not only highly-respected research institutions and legal experts, but technology vendors, NG grid operators and international energy and petrochemical companies.