The Horizon programme enables UK participation in one of the world’s greatest science and technology programmes. This continually provides outstanding leverage to produce results shared by all, where the UK contributes just 20% of a project fund. Enabling partnership and co-operation across Europe has been essential during development of new energy technologies. And especially so in carbon capture and geological storage - where scientific and engineering knowledge has been shared between groups from maybe 20 European states, in tens of European projects.
The very first co-operation in CCS with British Geological Survey was Joule 2, reporting on CCS opportunity around the UK in 1996, and continuing through Framework Programmes until today where SCCS is involved in 5 pan-European collaborations on CCS and on Hydrogen. This has built essential personal relationships between researchers, resulting in very high trust levels. These are now being utilised to accelerate the development of cross-border CO₂ movement and commercial arrangements for CO₂ storage. This type of patient and incremental building of knowledge over multi-decade timescales has only been possible when supported by European funds. I hope that the UK rejoins fully, and permanently, in all aspects of EU science and technology research partnerships.
