ECCSEL ERIC – accelerating user access, growing the membership and positioning internationally to ensure long-term sustainability

ended

ECCSEL ERIC was established on 1 June 2017 and is on track to gain recognition as a world-class research infrastructure (RI) based upon leading European Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) institutions and knowledge centres. It is now an approved European RI Consortium legal entity with its statutory seat in Trondheim, Norway. Under the financial support of the European Union, coordinated by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), ECCSEL has been implemented by a consortium of leading European CCS research institutes over two previous preparatory phases, and two years of initial phase operations supported by the ECCSEL Implementation Phase INFRADEV3 project (GA 675206, 2015-2017). ECCSELERATE builds on these solid foundations. ECCSEL is currently in its early operational phase as an ERIC, and needs to ramp-up to an advanced stage of operation. Based on recommendations from EC stakeholders and the ECCSEL ERIC General Assembly, ECCSELERATE will focus on: •increasing use and ensuring the long-term sustainable operation of ECCSEL ERIC RI; •cost-effective sharing and use of ECCSEL ERIC RI by industry and SMEs; •developing marketing, access and service models for industry and SMEs; •increasing international collaboration and visibility; •exploring the scope for extension to CO2 utilisation technology developments and potential synergies, thereby extending ECCSEL ERIC activities from CCS to CCUS; •expanding ECCSEL ERIC membership and developing its national nodes; and •increasing ECCSEL ERIC’s involvement with ongoing industrial CCS projects. This will enable ECCSEL ERIC to play its key role as specified in the SET-Plan TWG9 CCS and CCU Implementation Plan: ’a world-class research infrastructure facilitating ambitious R&D activities, European industrial initiatives, and education of specialists for the new CCUS industry.’