New IEAGHG Technical Report: 2019-08 'Workshop on Representing Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage in Energy Systems Models'

This report was prepared by the University College Cork and was managed on behalf of IEAGHG by Keith Burnard. 

The USDOE's Office of Fossil Energy convened a workshop on 17-19 October 2018 in College Park, Maryland, USA, to provide a forum to review and exchange the latest understanding of carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) and to improve the modelling approaches and representation of CCUS in energy systems models (ESMs) and Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs). This was the second workshop on this theme, following a previous workshop also hosted by US DOE-FE on 3-4 April 2017 in Washington DC, USA. This second workshop was designed to grow and expand the number of research groups with expertise in up-to-date modelling of advanced fossil technologies and related market impacts, including application of US National Energy Technology Labs (NETL) cost and performance baseline data and CCUS expertise, tax implications of 45Q, EOR market feedback and information on international markets. It also sought to create a community of practice and to link CCUS technical experts with modellers and analysts.

The workshop attracted CCS technology experts, CCS data providers, CCS process engineers and relevant stakeholders, together with ESM and IAM modellers from policy, industry and academia. The attendees were largely from the USA, all of whom had been studying CO₂ capture, utilisation and storage.

Accurate data provision was the core issue echoed at this workshop, repeating one of the outcomes from the April 2017 workshop. Data flow from CCUS technical experts to process modellers and onwards to energy systems and integrated assessment modellers is the mechanism that joins these communities of researchers and analysts. It is critical that the transaction cost between CCUS and modellers is reduced. While NETL's recent release of new baseline process model databases was identified as a way of bridging this gap, some modellers lacked the expertise to interpret and appropriately utilise the data, illustrating the importance of dialogue between technologists and modellers. Many models still lack the capability to address fiscal implications of 45Q policy, or to represent the temporal dynamics of partial load CCS plants and the resultant variable capture rates from CCS plants.

There were many expressions of interest in holding similar workshops. Considerable work remained to develop an effective network and to establish a robust community of practice that extended from technical research to integrated analysis capabilities.

IEAGHG are working with IEA-ETSAP to identify a process for sharing up-to-date CCUS data with IEA-ETSAP's ongoing energy technology database project. NETL are also a critical data provider and their engagement in this process would be encouraged. 

To request a copy, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the report reference number (2019-08).