DECARBSCOTLAND 2024 – the flagship conference by trade body NECCUS – is set to bring together industry leaders, innovators, and politicians, to envision a future where large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) infrastructure is embedded in industrial clusters. The conference, being held on 1 February at Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Edinburgh promises to be the premier gathering for Scotland’s carbon capture and storage (CCS) supply chain.
The decarbonisation landscape has changed markedly since NECCUS’s inaugural annual conference, last year. The 2024 conference comes at a pivotal time for the sector, UK Government’s previous announcements on allocation of an unprecedented £20 billion investment for CCS clusters, and the selection of the Scottish cluster on Track-2 of this programme were followed on 20 December last year by more information on the Track-2 industrial cluster timelines, targeting deployment from 2028-29. These timelines signal both significant growth in the industry and the necessity for development at pace.
Also in December, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) unveiled their CCUS Vision for transition to a competitive market with the aim of ‘creating a self-sustaining CCUS sector that supports thousands of jobs’. This provides an incentive to progress at pace, and Lord Callanan, Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance will communicate their vision for the UK at DeCarbScotland 2024.
As the world grapples with the urgent need to mitigate the impacts of climate change, DeCarbScotland 2024 aims to catalyse action towards reducing carbon output from industrial processes. This year’s conference theme – ‘Scotland’s Sustainable Tomorrow: A Vision for Decarbonisation’ – reflects the sector’s critical role in Scotland’s journey to net zero, and sets the stage for collaborative discussions amongst prominent decision makers across industry and government.
With Peterhead Carbon Capture Power Station as the headline sponsor the conference is also backed by industry giants including DNV and Xodus Group with support from The Crown Estate, Crown Estate Scotland, Acorn, Glacier Energy, IDTIC, the North Sea Transition Authority and Norwegian Energy Partners.
The conference will host several notable speakers, including:
- Business leader Susan Rice DBE FRSE, who is chairing the event. Dame Susan’s recent appointment as the chair of Forth Green Freeport underscores her commitment to driving sustainability in Scotland and beyond.
- Neil Gray MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy, who will deliver an address and present the NECCUS Young Professional Award. This special award aims to recognise the sector’s rising stars, who’ve been successful in effectively communicating the net zero challenge.
- Lord Callanan, Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance
- Alex Milward, Director Carbon Capture Utilisation & Storage, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
- Ben Burggraaf, CEO of Net Zero Industry Wales, who will be speaking as part of the conference’s Maritime Opportunity breakout session – encouraging mutually beneficial knowledge sharing between devolved nations.
- Nic Braley, recently appointed Managing Director of Acorn Transport and Storage at Storegga
- Dr Tip Meckel, Research Professor of Jackson School of Geosciences in Texas, who also serves on a White House task force on carbon capture
Dr Philippa Parmiter, CEO of NECCUS, highlighted the importance of the event: “DeCarbScotland 2024 is a vitally important moment for our industry. As Scotland positions itself at the forefront of decarbonisation, this event provides a unique opportunity to explore our collective vision for a sustainable future. I invite everyone passionate about industrial decarbonisation to join us for an insightful day.”
