The performance of the Norwegian carbon dioxide, capture and storage innovation system

Abstract

In order to take up Norway's twin challenge of reducing CO 2 emissions, while meeting its growing energy demand with domestic resources, the deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) plays an important role in Norwegian energy policies. This study uses the Functions of Innovation Systems approach to identify key policy issues that need to be addressed in order to prolong Norway's international leadership position in the development of CCS. The analysis shows that Norway has been successful in building an innovation system around CCS technology. The key determinants for this achievement are pinpointed in this article. However, the evolution of the innovation system seems to have entered a critical phase that is decisive for a further thriving development of CCS in Norway. The results provide a clear understanding of the current impediments in the CCS innovation system and stress the need to direct policy initiatives at the identified weak system functions-i.e. entrepreneurial activity and market formation-to improve the performance of the system. We discuss how policymakers can use these insights to develop a coherent set of policy instruments that would foster the deployment of CCS concepts related to power production and enhanced oil recovery in Norway.

Assessing innovation in emerging energy technologies: Socio-technical dynamics of carbon capture and storage (CCS) and enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) in the USA

“…This TIS framework with its discrete functions has been applied to multiple technologies in various contexts with a goal of identifying leverage points for enhancing or accelerating the innovation process, including one particularly relevant empirical analysis of CCS development in Norway (Alphen et al, 2009). While our approach does not apply these same categories of functional analysis, we focus on core elements that cross-cut the seven functions.…”

Carbon capture and storage, bio-energy with carbon capture and storage, and the escape from the fossil-fuel lock-in

“…The functions of the TIS approach has been applied to CCS previously by Van Alphen et al (2008), showing that knowledge development and diffusion are generally the best-developed functions of the CCS TIS, with market formation being the weakest. Moreover, Van Alphen et al (2009) showed that Norway has a strong CCS TIS as compared to, for example, the US and Australia. Zawadski (2009) compared the CCS TIS with those of wind and fuel cell technologies in Canada and found that CCS was seen to perform better with regard to funding.…”

Curb Your Enthusiasm: On Media Communication of Bioenergy and the Role of the News Media in Technology Diffusion

“…Hydroelectric power generation is one example, another is the focus on oil and gas since the 1970's (Tamnes, 1997). Finally, the Norwegian energy-political response to the climate issue has been massive efforts to develop carbon capture and storage technology (CCS) (van Alphen, van Ruijven, Kasa, Hekkert, & Turkenburg, 2009). It has been suggested that in Norway, CCS has found a politically harmonizing role, as a 'necessary compromise' between environmental and industrial interests.…”