Scottish and Mexican scientists are working together to help support Mexico’s efforts to develop carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) capacity.
Representatives from SENER (Mexico’s Energy Ministry), the Universidad Nacional Autonóma de México and the Scottish Carbon Capture & Storage (SCCS) research partnership met in Mexico City last week to explore future research collaborations and capacity building as well as opportunities for academic exchanges.
CCUS is a suite of technologies that captures carbon dioxide (CO2) from power plants and industrial facilities and stores it permanently in deep geological formations or provides CO2 for processes, such as enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR).
SCCS director, Prof Stuart Haszeldine, and Prof Elena Centeno Garcia, director of UNAM’s Institute of Geology, signed a letter of collaboration, which lays the foundations for working jointly on CCUS research – drawing on the UK’s broad expertise in the technology – and exploring international funding initiatives.
Jazmin Mota, of SENER, said the collaboration was important for the Mexican Government’s future energy and climate policy.
Prof Haszeldine, said: “This is a very positive development between international research institutes at a time when signatories to the Paris Agreement on climate change, including the UK and Mexico, must pursue effective measures to reduce carbon emissions.
“We are delighted to be exploring opportunities for research and knowledge exchange with fellow academics in Mexico, and with the Mexican Government.”
SCCS is also making connections with additional research partnerships in Canada, South Africa and China.
The next stage of the Mexico agreement will be the signing of a formal Memorandum of Understanding, which paves the way for SCCS and UNAM to seek formal collaborations on aspects of CCUS development.
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