Long-term modelling of Carbon Capture and Storage, Nuclear Fusion, and large-scale District Heating

Among the technologies for mitigating greenhouse gasses, carbon capture and storage (CCS) and nuclear fusion are interesting in the long term. In several studies with time horizon 2050 CCS has been identified as an important technology, while nuclear fusion cannot become commercially available before 2050.

The modelling tools developed by the International Energy Agency (IEA) Implementing Agreement ETSAP include both multi-regional global and long-term energy models till 2100, as well as national or regional models with shorter time horizons. Examples are the EFDA-TIMES model, focusing on nuclear fusion and the Pan European TIMES model, respectively.

In the next decades CCS can be a driver for the development and expansion of large-scale district heating systems, which are currently widespread in Europe, Korea and China, and with large potentials in North America. If fusion will replace fossil fuel power plants with CCS in the second half of the century, the same infrastructure for heat distribution can be used which will support the penetration of both technologies.

This paper will address the issue of infrastructure development and the use of CCS and fusion technologies using the available models among the ETSAP tools.