The Emission Reduction Alliances (ERAs) are a key component of the COREu project (CO₂ Routes across Europe), which is one of the largest research and innovation initiatives in the field of carbon capture and storage (CCS). Funded by a European program, COREu aims to significantly reduce CO₂ emissions by 2035 and 2050 through the demonstration of key CCS technologies and the development of new COREu CCS routes in Greece, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Ukraine.

The ERAs, as an expected outcome and impact of the COREu project, will be set up in each of the four COREu routes plus in other regions across Europe to foster growth of the CCS value chain. These formed alliances will operate on both a regional level and at the EU level (CCS Innovation ).

The ERAs will be a collaborative partnership between a diverse stakeholder in the CCS value industrial CO₂ emitters, CCS Transport & Storage partners, Corporation (Tech providers/ VCs etc), NGOs, Trade bodies and policymakers.

The ERA at the Eu level (The CCS Innovation) is designed to promote the commercialization of innovation in Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), creating a platform where diverse stakeholders come together to drive the future of sustainable solutions.

The regional ERAs will exist to provide the demand and rationale (regulatory and investment) for the development of new cross border CCS clusters, routes, networks and hubs. Regional ERAs will foster and facilitate collaboration through workshops, conferences and events on 6 strategic themes to provide the rationale to progress CCS deployment and address the unequal distribution of storage sites.

Strategic Themes:

• Financial Models & Incentives

• Awareness & Community Engagement

• Infrastructure Dev & Integration

• Value Chain Assessment & Integration

• Policy & Regulatory Alignment

• Metrics, Reporting & Verification

The main objectives of the ERAs are:

• Demonstrating Key Enabling Technologies: Showcase and validate critical technologies within the CCS value chain, ensuring their effectiveness and scalability.

• Assessing Future Needs: Evaluate the future requirements for CCS clusters and the potential for CO₂ emissions reduction across different industrial activities in the regions and across Europe.

• Supporting New CCS Routes: Aid in the development of three new CCS routes in Central-East Europe (CEE), thereby accelerating the overall CCS development in the region.

• Developing CO₂ Quality Specifications: Establish CO₂ quality specifications for multimodal transport systems and networks, determining any necessary processing requirements.

• Establishing Regional and European Alliances: Form one ERA Alliance for each COREu route (Regional ERAs) and one ERA Alliance at the European level with over 40 members (CCS Innovation).

• Providing Rationale for Demand, Investment & Regulatory Framework Requirements. Platform for acquiring collective rationale for the demand and Investment requirements and potentially advocating for regulatory frameworks that enable efficient CCS business models and deployment.

The ERAs aim to achieve several key outcomes, including:

• Encouraging dispersed sites and minor emitters to form or join larger hubs and clusters.
• Identifying core regional CCS hubs to foster CCS developments for identified clusters in Europe.
• Increasing the positive impacts of regional CO₂ routes.
• Organizing ERA workshops focused on finance and business models.
• Creating demand and investment rationale for developing new CCS clusters, routes, and hubs, addressing the unequal distribution of storage sites.
• Contribute to the development of the ERA Summary of activities and Guidebook for End-users.

Joining the ERAs offers several benefits, including:

• Driving meaningful change in the CCS field.
• Access to cross-sector, cross-supply chain networking opportunities.
• Gaining detailed information and participating in discussions shared within the consortium.
• Building a community through local and national events and online networks.

The ERAs are integral to the COREu project’s mission of accelerating the deployment of CCS technologies across Europe. By fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing, and advocacy, the ERAs aim to create a robust and sustainable CCS infrastructure that can significantly reduce CO₂ emissions and contribute to a low-carbon future. As a potential ERA member, your expertise and participation will be invaluable in achieving these goals and driving the success of the CCS initiatives.

To become a part of the COREu Emission Reduction Alliances and contribute to the development of a sustainable, low-carbon future, please contact:

Dr Masimba Phillip Toperesu: masimba.toperesu@glass-futures.org

Grace Babalola: grace.babalola@glass-futures.org