The second PLANETS poll has focused on CCS and climate mitigation: opportunities and obstacles. The participants have been asked to express their opinion on new low carbon technologies, with a focus on the contribution of CCS to global climate mitigation. The poll has had roughly twenty respondants.

Main results:

Question 1:

Comment: With 44% of votes, Investment costs are found to be the biggest obstacle to a large scale deployment of CCS. On a slightly lower level, public acceptance (31%) and transport and storage costs (25%) are also deemed relevant factors. One participant has pointed out that each of these three obstacles is sufficient to destroy hopes about CCS deployment, while other participants have suggested other important factors such as plant efficiency and the firms' acceptance and willingness to invest. Finally, the future price of carbon is considered a key variable for CCS, taking into account that alternative GHG reduction options might be cheaper. 

Question 2:

Comment: The majority of respondents (50% of votes) thinks that the greatest contribution of CCS will occur in Europe, given the leading role of Europe in climate change mitigation policies, whereas the remaining half of respondents evenly splits among US and China as leading nations. It has been pointed out that US, EU and China will not act at the same time and that there is a large potential in China, but it depends more on political committments.  Finally, it has been pointed out also that Europe and China traditionally do not trust enough pure technological mega-engineering.

Question 3:

Comment: most of respondents thinks that Wind and Solar technologies hold the greatest potential in the next two to three decades (59% of votes), while nuclear (35% of votes) has also emerged as a relevant technology, while CCS has been judged as less important (6% of votes) in the short term.  A participant has pointed out that nuclear could have great potential for the next two decades, while renewables for the following.

The respondants comments to this poll have emphasized that, as any technology including CCS is more expensive than the same technology without CCS, a reliable future carbon price is a must; once this will be established, the chances for CCS will increase considerably. It has also been pointed out that the main obstacle to increase coal utilisation in China may be logistics rather than climate protection; the chinese railway system is saturated (60-70%) by transporting coal from the North/Northwest (coal deposits) to the South-East (most industrial activities): this is the main driver for the development of nuclear in the South-East of the country.

A) Investment Costs : 43.75 % - 7 vote(s)
B) Transport and storage : 25 % - 4 vote(s)
C) Public acceptance : 31.25 % - 5 vote(s)

A) EU : 50 % - 8 vote(s)
B) China : 25 % - 4 vote(s)
C) US : 25 % - 4 vote(s)

A) CCS : 5.88 % - 1 vote(s)
B) Nuclear : 35.29 % - 6 vote(s)
C) Wind+Solar : 58.82 % - 10 vote(s)