European trade body for the carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) industry, the Carbon Capture and Storage Association (CCSA), has appointed experienced senior executive Joop Hazenberg as it new EU Director.
Succeeding the outgoing Per-Olof Granstrom, Hazenberg will lead the CCSA’s work in Brussels, overseeing the delivery of the Zero Emissions Platform work programme as its Secretary General.
Having held roles as an EU correspondent for a range of international media, campaign manager for European NGOs and Director External Affairs at the GSMA, Hazenberg will also drive the CCSA’s EU strategy, expanding its programme of advocacy on European CCUS developments.
Commenting on the new appointment, Ruth Herbert, Chief Executive of the CCSA, said, “He brings with him a wealth of expertise and knowledge form the energy sector, and will be a strong asset to our expanding work on CCUS in the EU.”
Herbert also praised Granstrom for establishing the CCSA within the EU and playing a ‘key role’ in advancing the Zero Emissions Platform.
The Zero Emissions Platform, or ZEP, is a European Technology and Innovation Platform under the European SET-Plan, acting as the adviser to the EU on the deployment of CCS and CCU.
Equipped with a membership base ranging from the oil and gas industry and utilities and equipment suppliers to research, trade unions and environmental NGOs, ZEP also coordinates with other initiatives on national, European and international level.
Enthusing about his appointment, Hazenberg said, “I am excited to start in this dual role as CCUS is the key technology to clean up the carbon emissions that we cannot avoid in the foreseeable future – notably in energy intensive industries, heavy transport and the production of hydrogen.”
According to the CCSA, CCUS enables the production of clean power, clean products such as steel and cement and clean hydrogen, which can then be used to decarbonise heating and transport.
Despite its potential to reduce emissions within industry, CCUS uptake needs to grow 120 times by 2050 for countries to achieve their Net Zero commitments, according to McKinsey analysis.
If successful, this could lead to CCUS decarbonising 45% of remaining emissions in the industry sector.
“Even in conservative scenarios, CCUS demand would reach approximately two gigatonnes per annum by 2050 – a 60-fold increase over today’s pipeline of projects,” state the research.
