Aiming to prepare the establishment of a network of projects to demonstrate the use of CCS technology in power plants, the Commission launched a call for tender for an external service provider to assist in establishing and running this network. The Call for Tender will be opened until October 6th, 2008.

The European Council endorsed in March 2007 the Commission's intention to stimulate the construction and operation of a set of CCS (Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage) demonstration projects by 2015. The successful operation of these demonstration projects is seen as crucial for wide-scale commercial application of CCS. It is considered feasible that CCS will by 2020 or soon after be able to stand on its own feet in an Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) -driven system.

The European Commission therefore launched a Call for Tenders for a service contract regarding the European Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS) project network.

The selected contractor will assist the Commission in ensuring that the network allows early-movers to exchange information and experience from large-scale industrial demonstration of the use of CCS technologies and optimize costs through shared collective actions. It is foreseen that, as the network evolves, its integrating role may be complemented by other measures that support the further development of CCS technologies, building towards the establishment of a European Industrial Initiative on CCS as proposed in the Commission's Communication on the Strategic Energy Technology Plan.

The deadline for submission of tenders is October 6th, 2008 and the selection process should be completed by the beginning of 2009.

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Technology

CCS technology shows great potential in helping reduce CO2 emissions, especially from power plants using fossil fuels such as coal or gas. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that the use of CCS could account for 20% of the achievable global greenhouse gas emissions reductions by 2050.