DNV, the independent energy expert and assurance provider, has announced the appointment of Jamie Burrows as head of its Energy Systems business area’s Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) unit.  Amidst COP28 proceedings, the move underscores DNV's commitment to CCUS as a pivotal tool for decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors, such as heavy industry – including iron, steel, and cement production. In the dynamic landscape of the energy transition, this promising technology is also set to significantly curb emissions from the enduringly impactful oil and gas sector. Its significance is underscored by oil and gas’ continuing role in fulfilling the growing global energy demand over the coming decades.

The appointment comes as a response to growing demand from these fossil fuels-reliant industries to reduce their CO2 emissions, and aligns with DNV's recent studies, emphasizing the role of CCUS in future energy systems. DNV’s 2023 Energy Transition Outlook report highlights the importance of CCUS, alongside enhanced energy efficiency, renewable integration and other decarbonization solutions, in reaching Paris Agreement targets – which DNV sees as “less likely than ever” if drastic and immediate measures are not taken.

Jamie Burrows, who joined DNV in 2021 as Head of Business Development for CCUS, brings over 20 years of experience in the engineering and energy industries. Highlighting the urgency, Burrows stated that “significant deployment of carbon capture technologies, including those that remove CO2 from the atmosphere, is essential to reaching our energy transition goals. To deliver Net zero in 2050 operational CCUS capacity will likely need to be scaled more than 100 times. Net zero will be virtually impossible without CCUS to capture emissions that are technically challenging or economically impractical to eliminate.”

Lucy Craig, Senior Vice President and Director of Growth, Innovation and Digital Energy Systems at DNV, added: “DNV is committed to advancing CCUS value chains by providing assurance to projects and stakeholders.  We help minimize risk, ensure safety, and enhance investor appeal, ultimately accelerating the deployment of this critical technology. I am delighted that Jamie has taken on the leadership role in this area of our business, to underscore the urgency of deploying CCUS more rapidly to significantly reduce CO2 emissions.”

DNV celebrates the current growth of CCUS, yet stresses that strong government policy support and regulatory frameworks remain crucial to closing the gap between the required CCUS roll-out and its real-world deployment. DNV supports clients worldwide in their efforts to adopt CCUS by providing advisory and certification services. Such work draws on more than 20 years of experience, DNV’s prior research to address questions that have prevented deployment and a suite of recommended practices covering the full CCUS value chain.

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