Technology to cut CO2 not seen adopted before 2020

By Tom Bergin

LONDON (Reuters) - Clean energy technologies that could dramatically cut carbon emissions are unlikely to be widely adopted before 2020, and even then only if western governments offer big financial incentives at home and abroad.

Most scientists believe man-made CO2 emissions, largely caused by burning hydrocarbons, are the primary cause of climate change in the half century

A draft report by the United Nations climate panel is expected to this week again call on nations to cut their CO2 emissions to avoid a climate catastrophe.

However, even the greenest developed nations are struggling to curb rises in CO2 production and emissions from developing nations like China and India are rocketing, as their booming economies require more and more energy.

New technologies are seen as the only way for mankind to cut CO2 emissions to acceptable levels, and still enjoy a decent standard of living.

Many scientists believe CO2 capture and storage (CCS) -- burying CO2 in underground reservoirs -- is the most politically acceptable, technologically feasible and economically viable way to make big CO2 cuts, followed by advanced biofuels.

Steve Koonin, scientist at oil major BP, said these technologies could realistically allow developed nations to reduce CO2 emissions from around 2015 and developing countries to cut from between 2030 and 2040.

However, government-sponsored financial incentives would be needed, he added. BP itself has applied for government help to build a CCS and power generation plant in Scotland.

CARBON CAPTURE

Around 40 percent of man-made CO2 emissions are caused by electricity generation, so scientists say it is key to focus on this source.

While some environmentalists advocate wind power, its capacity to replace coal and gas-fired power plants is limited by the intermittent nature of gusts and a shortage of suitable sites.

Solar and wave technology require unforeseen technological breakthroughs before they could play anything more than a tiny role in meeting power needs.

Nuclear could make a big impact but high build cost, long construction lead time and public hostility, mean even replacing existing plants is a struggle.

CCS, which involves storing CO2 in depleted offshore oil fields or in aquifers, porous rock beneath the seabed, is seen as offering a realistic prospect of material CO2 cuts.

"We've got several hundred years of storage for the whole European Union in the saltwater aquifers in the North Sea," Professor Stuart Haszeldine, Professor of geology at the University of Edinburgh, said.