On 26 October, ZEP co-hosted an EU Sustainable Energy Day event with Fortum Oslo Värme, Bellona, and the City of Oslo as part of EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) 2021.
Paving the way for decarbonised Industry with Carbon Capture and Storage

On 26 October, ZEP co-hosted an EU Sustainable Energy Day event with Fortum Oslo Värme, Bellona, and the City of Oslo as part of EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) 2021.
The ZEP Network Technology co-chairs and further experts from the research constituency were engaged in preparing a fact-based, academic paper on low-carbon hydrogen. The ZEP paper provides a realistic picture of blue hydrogen and its role for Europe to reach climate-neutrality.
ZEP gave input to the Roadmap on restoring sustainable carbon cycles. As stated in the European Climate Law, carbon dioxide removals, verified by a robust and thorough carbon accounting methodology, will be a key tool to achieve net zero GHG emissions by 2050 and 55% reduction by 2030.
ZEP gave input to the stakeholders’ consultation on the Low-Carbon Industrial Technologies Prospect Report, stressing the role of CCS, CCU, carbon dioxide removals and hydrogen. Following the update of the New Industrial Strategy in May 2021, the Commission will develop ‘sector-specific transition pathways’ by Q2 2022 for the EU decarbonisation. ZEP’s response will feed into the first ERA Industrial Technology Roadmap, which addresses low-carbon industrial technologies for energy-intensive industries, and give input to the Commission’s transition pathways.
On 22 September, the Zero Emissions Platform Conference 2021 took place online, coordinated with the ZEP 68th Advisory Council meeting and as a ‘grant farewell’ for ZEP 2018-2021. The conference programme saw discussions reflect on CCS and CCU developments over the past three years, as well as highlight the main challenges going forward.
The large-scale deployment of cross-border CO2 transport and storage infrastructure is crucial for the EU to reach its 2050 climate target. To this end, all modes of CO2 transport – pipeline, ship, barge, truck, train – and CO2 storage should be included in the revised TEN-E regulation, writes Dr Graeme Sweeney.
ZEP responded to the call for feedback on the Platform on Sustainable Finance’s draft report on social taxonomy.
ZEP responded to the consultation on the revised Climate, Energy and Environmental Aid Guidelines (CEEAG), highlighting that the guidelines need to be updated and aligned with the market developments and the more ambitious new climate agenda, the European Green Deal, the European Climate Law for climate neutrality by 2050, the EU Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance and linked initiatives.
ZEP has signed an open letter from 27 leaders in industry, academia, and civil society on the need to include CO2 storage and multiple modes of CO2 transport in the revised TEN-E Regulation. CO2 transport and storage infrastructure is crucial to connect CO2 emitters to permanent geological storage of captured CO2.
Following the publication and the adoption of the main work programme of Horizon Europe by the European Commission, the Zero Emissions Platform (ZEP) and the SET-Plan Implementation Working Group 9 (IWG9) Chairs have produced a guidance document.