New network+ funding announced for continuation of UK CCS Research Centre

The UK CCS Research Centre (UKCCSRC) Network+ will play a key role in maintaining the UK as a scientific lead in carbon capture and storage (CCS).

The UK Carbon Capture and Storage Centre has received funding from the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), as part of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Energy Programme, to continue its work until September 2025, in the form of a new Network+ programme.

"Enabling people to connect, exchange ideas and share successes will help accelerate CCS toward commercial deployment as a key pillar of the UK's net-zero trajectory.” Jeremy Carey UKCCSRC Board Chair

The UKCCSRC’s overall aim with its new funding is to maintain a UK scientific lead in CCS, behind only the much larger USA and China, that the existence of an inclusive EPSRC-supported CCS network since 2009 has helped to establish, and to ensure that this lead is translated into wealth creation and commercial advantages for the UK via strong and focused networking with a successful CCS industry sector.

Jeremy Carey, UKCCSRC Board Chair said: “The UKCCSRC Network+ will build on its existing networks to create a diverse and vibrant ecosystem of CCS stakeholders. Enabling people to connect, exchange ideas and share successes will help accelerate CCS toward commercial deployment as a key pillar of the UK's net-zero trajectory.”

"We are pleased that the UKCCSRC has received the funding to enable it to continue its vital work in the field of carbon capture and storage. I am delighted to remain part of the project and focusing on industrial decarbonisation.” Professor Paul Fennell Department of Chemical Engineering

Professor Paul Fennell (Department of Chemical Engineering) will continue in his role as Co-investigator in the project, which will be essential to support a broadening of the UK research base to include a much wider range of scientific disciplines, matching the increasingly complex research challenges of deployment.

Professor Fennell commented: “We are pleased that the UKCCSRC has received the funding to enable it to continue its vital work in the field of carbon capture and storage. I am delighted to remain part of the project and focusing on industrial decarbonisation.”

The UKCCSRC Network+ will be essential to support a broadening of the UK research base to include a much wider range of scientific disciplines, matching the increasingly complex research challenges of deployment. The UKCCSRC Network+ will also play a key part in building new high-tech CCS industries, with scope for extensive learning-by-doing once the first UK CCS plants are in service and CO₂ transport and storage infrastructure is in place for new projects to use.

The new grant brings in new Co-Investigators Dr Ben Wetenhall (Newcastle University) and Dr Jen Roberts (University of Strathclyde - Deputy Director & ECR Champion) alongside Dr Kyra Sedransk-Campbell (University of Sheffield – EDI Champion), Professor Richard Marsh (Cardiff University), Dr Clair Gough (University of Manchester), Professor Stuart Haszeldine (University of Edinburgh) and Dr David Reiner (University of Cambridge). Principal Investigator Professor Jon Gibbins (University of Sheffield) will continue as Director. 

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This article is based on the press release issued by UKCCSRC.