Emerging Innovation system and Environmental Innovation: the case of mitigation techniques and CCS

International audienceWhile the environmental innovations will play a key role in the transition towards a decarbonized economy, their implementation is rather difficult to be realized in advanced economies. The techniques at stake imply for some of them scale and network economies, for others changes in habits and uses, with important technical and economic uncertainties. Developing countries can benefit as latecomers from these innovations without incurring their development costs, but they are reluctant to move towards a more decarbonized economic model if this evolution should reduce their growth and limit their development. From this point of view, mitigation techinques, especially Carbon Capture and Storage techniques, from fossil fuels (CCS) or bioenergy (BCCS) appear to be a promising way to reach stringent greenhouse gas reduction targets. They allow preserve the use of fossil fuels during a transition period towards a more decarbonized energy mix. These techniques are nevertheless submitted to the evolution of mitigation costs, to the regulatory uncertainty and to their social acceptability. Their adoption by developing countries depends moreover crucially on the regulatory framework for avoided carbon emission, and of the availability of a financial support from more advanced countries

CO2-Dissolved : A Novel Approach to Combining CCS and Geothermal Heat Recovery

International audienceThis paper presents the outline of the CO2-DISSOLVED project whose objective is to assess the technical-economic feasibility of a novel CCS concept integrating geothermal energy recovery, aqueous dissolution of CO2 and injection via a doublet system, and an innovative post-combustion CO2 capture technology. Compared to the use of a supercritical phase, this approach offers substantial benefits in terms of storage safety, due to lower brine displacement risks, lower CO2 escape risks, and the potential for more rapid mineralization. However, the solubility of CO2 in brine will be a limiting factor to the amount of CO2 that can be injected. Consequently, and as another contributing novel factor, this proposal targets low to medium range CO2-emitters (ca. 10-100 kt/yr), that could be compatible with a single doublet installation. Since it is intended to be a local solution, the costs related to CO2 transport would then be dramatically reduced, provided that the local underground geology is favorable. Finally, this project adds the potential for energy and/or revenue generation through geothermal heat recovery. This constitutes an interesting way of valorization of the injection operations, demonstrating that an actual synergy between CO2 storage and geothermal activities may exist

Gilbert Abraham-Frois, Edmond Berrebi, Instabilité, cycle, chaos. 1995

Galiègue Xavier. Gilbert Abraham-Frois, Edmond Berrebi, Instabilité, cycle, chaos. 1995. In: Sciences de la société, n°40, 1997. Industries culturelles et « société de l'information ». pp. 243-245

Rigidités Microéconomiques, Flexibilité Macroéconomique: l'émergence d'une macroéconomie de la spécificité et de l'Irréversibilité

When using specific assets, the optimal reaction of a production unit to exogeneous shocks is highly non-linear. As a consequence, macroeconomic variables have to be build up by aggregating individual reactions. Asset specificity influences also the factors of production, which have to share the quasi-rent obtained by their collaboration. The working of the market depresss the price of the non specific, flexible factor, in order to reward the specific factor. Investment is depressed and excessive destruction occurs, while the cyclical response of a rigid factor economy is more elastic than that of a flexible factor one.En présence d'actifs spécifiques, la réaction optimale d'une unité individuelle à des chocs exogènes est non linéaire et discontinue. Il faut donc reconstruire les grandeurs macroéconomiques, en agrégeant ces réponses individuelles discrètes. La spécificité des actifs affecte aussi les facteurs de production, qui doivent se partager la quasi rente tirée de leur collaboration. Le fonctionnement du marché externe a tendance à déprimer le prix du facteur non spécifique, flexible, pour rémunérer le facteur spécifique. Cette caractéristique se traduit par un sous investissement, des destructions excessives, et par une accentuation de la réponse cyclique d'une économie à facteurs spécifiques.Galiègue André. Rigidités microéconomiques, flexibilité macroéconomique. L'émergence d'une macro-économie de la spécificité et de l'irréversibilité. In: Cahiers d'économie politique, n°35, 1999. pp. 19-36

Emerging Innovation system and Environmental Innovation: the case of mitigation techniques and CCS

International audienceWhile the environmental innovations will play a key role in the transition towards a decarbonized economy, their implementation is rather difficult to be realized in advanced economies. The techniques at stake imply for some of them scale and network economies, for others changes in habits and uses, with important technical and economic uncertainties. Developing countries can benefit as latecomers from these innovations without incurring their development costs, but they are reluctant to move towards a more decarbonized economic model if this evolution should reduce their growth and limit their development. From this point of view, mitigation techinques, especially Carbon Capture and Storage techniques, from fossil fuels (CCS) or bioenergy (BCCS) appear to be a promising way to reach stringent greenhouse gas reduction targets. They allow preserve the use of fossil fuels during a transition period towards a more decarbonized energy mix. These techniques are nevertheless submitted to the evolution of mitigation costs, to the regulatory uncertainty and to their social acceptability. Their adoption by developing countries depends moreover crucially on the regulatory framework for avoided carbon emission, and of the availability of a financial support from more advanced countries

L'approche économique des transitions énergétiques et l'innovation environnementale : une application au CCS et au BCCS

While the environmental innovations will play a key role in the transition towards new energetical systems, their implementation is rather difficult to be set up and will require some incentive and regulatory schemes. The techniques at stake are rather difficult to implement, implying scale and network économies, with an important technical and economic uncertainty. Technical progress can even lead to a " rebound effect ", the increase in the energy efficiency of old techniques allowing to delay the adoption of more decarbonized techniques. From this point of view, Carbon Capture and Storage techniques, from fossil fuels (CCS) or bioenergy (BCCS) appear to a promising way to reach stringent greenhouse gas reduction targets, but may also lead to extend the use of fossil fuels on a longer timescale. These techniques are moreover submitted to the evolution of mitigation costs, to the regulatory uncertainty and to their social acceptability. It is really a new challenge for the national Innovation system to help to develop environmetal techniques, and to find incentives schemes able to promote them.Si les innovations environnementales vont être amenées à jouer un rôle décisif dans les transitions énergétiques, leur mise en oeuvre n'a rien de spontané et nécessite de faire appel à des schémas incitatifs crédibles et des mesures réglementaires fortes. Les techniques en jeu sont en effet lourdes, engageant des externalités de réseau et des économies d'échelle, avec une forte incertitude technique et économique. Dans le domaine des transitions énergétiques le progrès technique peut aboutir ainsi à des " effets de rebond ", l'amélioration de l'efficience énergétique d'une technique pouvant prolonger son utilisation et retarder l'adoption de techniques permettant de réduire plus drastiquement l'intensité en carbone de l'économie. Les techniques de capture et de stockage de carbone, à partir d'énergie fossile (CCS) ou de biomasse (BECCS) apparaissent de ce point de vue comme un moyen de rendre compatible l'utilisation des énergies fossiles avec la réduction des émissions de gaz à effet de serre. Elles n'échappent aux contraintes décrites précédemment, auxquelles il faut ajouter celles pesant sur le prix du carbone évité, sur leur statut réglementaire, et leur acceptabilité. En tout état de cause l'intégration de ces techniques reste une priorité pour les systèmes nationaux d'innovation