EBRD approves CCUS technical assistance project to cut industrial emissions in Turkey

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has approved a technical assistance project to support carbon capture, utilization, and storage in Turkey. The project aims to create a legal and regulatory framework for CCUS, which is currently missing in the country. Turkey's industrial sector accounts for 24.2% of national emissions, and the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism adds pressure to decarbonize. The project includes analyzing CCUS regulations, conducting a market study on industrial clusters, developing a National CCUS Strategy, and preparing feasibility studies for two high-emission cement plants. The EBRD estimates that about $27 billion of the $29.8 billion needed for carbon-neutral production in the sector will go to CCUS technologies. An international consulting firm will provide advisory services to the Turkish government. This initiative directly addresses a key gap: Turkey lacks permitting mechanisms, CO2 transport network rules, monitoring standards, and investment promotion for CCUS. By building the enabling environment first, the EBRD is trying to reduce investor risk before large capital commitments. The focus on cement plants makes sense given that industry's hard-to-abate emissions profile.