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CCS will be a crucial component of Finland’s 2050 climate strategy
Publish date: October 27, 2014
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CCS will be a crucial component of Finland’s 2050 climate strategy
Finland is currently in the process of adopting a new climate change act which will require the country to cut down its CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050 relative to 1990 levels. A parliamentary committee was set up to help bring Finland’s 2050 energy and climate roadmap in line with the EU’s long-term climate objectives. According to a report of the committee a delay in the commercialisation of CO2 Capture and Storage (CCS) would put the country at risk of missing its 2050 emission reduction target.
The parliamentary committee states that renewable energy sources will be able to contribute 50-60% of Finland’s energy to 2050. Although forest biomass will continue to form a significant part of renewables up to 2050, the committee notes that the share of solar, wind and geothermal energy can be increased. Significant energy efficiency improvements can be achieved without threatening national competitiveness.
Moreover, the report is optimistic with regards to the energy security outlook of the country. It estimates that Finland should be able to produce 50-60% of its energy by 2050, reducing reliance on imported fuels. Assuming that nuclear energy is classified as a domestic source, the rate of self-sufficiency in energy could go up even higher to 80%. Nuclear, however, is usually considered an imported energy in Finland due to the fact that it has to be purchased from overseas.
A report entitled Nordic CCS Roadmap – A vision for Carbon Capture and Storage towards 2050 states that Finland is unique in that 40% of its CO2 emissions are of biogenic origin, making Bio-CCS an effective and cost-effective option for industries with no other means of reducing emissions.
Finland’s former Environment Minister Ville Niinistö said “The climate change act is an attempt to establish Finland as a leader in low-carbon society. The current emissions targets, which extend until 2020, are simply not enough. We must plan for the society of 2050 today”.
You can read the parliamentary committee report here.
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