In this STS methods lab, Lisa Claussmann will be presenting from her ongoing postdoctoral research work titled "The Economics of Decarbonization: The Creation of a CCS Infrastructure between France and Norway". Here is an excerpt from her talk:
"This presentation draws on an ongoing postdoctoral research project examining the sociotechnical trajectory of CCS infrastructure development between France and Norway. Coordinated by the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), the project is part of a broader research program on industrial decarbonization.
Specifically, my postdoctoral work focuses on two initiatives in northern France designed to capture, liquefy, and transport CO2 using pipelines or ships via the North Sea. My analytical framework brings together infrastructure studies and the study of industrial and technological policies. In practice, my empirical approach consists in following stakeholders and their projects along the value chain, from capture to storage.
In this presentation, I will share preliminary findings from interviews and field observations conducted in France since February 2024. I will also discuss how this fieldwork led me to identify Norway as a crucial component of this research. Finally, I will outline key questions concerning climate policies and CCS that I intend to address during my one-month research stay in Oslo.
Two key findings have emerged from the research so far. First, CCS is framed by French stakeholders as a technology central to the reindustrialization of the Dunkirk region in northern France. Second, CCS is presented as a European-scale solution for mitigating CO2 emissions from hard-to-abate industries. Far from being a purely local response, these framings underscore the complexity of establishing a CCS infrastructure, particularly regarding standardization and spatial distribution. As with other forms of underground storage for industrial waste, CCS fosters new interdependencies between territories, shaping relationships through both technical and geographic configurations."