Heidug, Wolfgang

  • Primary Program Climate & Sustainability
  • Research Interests Low-carbon technology incentives and regulatios, climate change policy, carbon capture and storage

Biography

Wolfgang Heidug is an expert in low-carbon energy technology policy, with a specialized focus on the science and technology of carbon capture and storage (CCS). He currently serves as a Visiting Researcher at KAPSARC, having previously been a Senior Research Fellow there from 2015 to 2020. Before joining KAPSARC, Wolfgang was a Senior Adviser at the International Energy Agency (IEA) in Paris, where he contributed to policies related to CCS. Wolfgang’s career spans over two decades with the upstream sector of Shell International in The Hague, where he held various roles, including General Manager for CO2 Policy. He holds a Ph.D. in Engineering from Brown University, along with M.A. degrees in Physics and Economics from German universities.

Publications

See all Wolfgang’s publications
  • Discussion papers
  • Commentaries
  • KAPSARC journal articles
  • Think20 (T20)
Race to the Top: Harmonizing Regulations for Geological CO₂ Storage Under Article 6

Race to the Top: Harmonizing Regulations for Geological CO₂ Storage Under Article 6

The urgent need to mitigate climate change underscores the importance of achieving reliable and widespread deployment of geological carbon storage. This discussion paper highlights the role of robust and harmonized state regulations in ensuring the environmental integrity of CO2 storage projects. Such regulations are also essential for the recognition of geological storage as a credible mitigation option in international carbon markets.

20th May 2025
Towards a CCS National Strategy and Roadmap for Saudi Arabia

Towards a CCS National Strategy and Roadmap for Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, has long been associated with the production and consumption of hydroacrbons. However, with the increasing concerns over climate change and the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the country has started to explore and invest in new technologies to mitigate its carbon footprint. One such technology is Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), which involves capturing carbon dioxide emissions from industrial processes and storing them underground. In this paper, we will delve into the role of Saudi Arabia in the development, demonstration, and deployment of CCS, and explore how this technology could play a crucial role in the country’s efforts to transition towards a low-carbon economy.

9th December 2024
Enabling Blue Hydrogen for a Low- Carbon Future: Certifying Emissions and CO2 Storage

Enabling Blue Hydrogen for a Low- Carbon Future: Certifying Emissions and CO2 Storage

As part of a diverse energy portfolio, hydrogen can support global efforts toward transitioning to a more sustainable energy system. This would align with climate goals, such as those outlined in the Paris Agreement. For hydrogen to fulfill this potential, its production method needs a paradigm shift. The prevalent method used today relies on unabated natural gas and other fossil fuels, leading to significant greenhouse gas emissions. Thus, clean production processes need to be adopted that either eliminate, capture or significantly reduce GHG emissions to meet specific sustainability benchmarks.

14th December 2023
Supply-side Climate Policy for Crude Oil Producers

Supply-side Climate Policy for Crude Oil Producers

This paper considers the potential for supply-side climate policy to increase climate action, with a focus on crude oil producers and exporting countries. To date, supply-side policies have not been widely used in efforts to tackle climate change, and the emerging dialogue on the topic tends to focus solely on measures that can curtail and ultimately end fossil fuel production. These strategies, in combination with comprehensive and sustained demand-side climate policy actions, pose a threat to the value of fossil fuel resource endowments held by countries and companies alike.

21st September 2020
A Mechanism for CCS in the Post-Paris Era

A Mechanism for CCS in the Post-Paris Era

The Paris Agreement committed ratifying Parties to hold the increase in the global average temperature to much less than 2°C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°C. The Agreement also committed Parties to achieving net-zero emissions in the second half of this century. Technologies involving carbon capture and storage (CCS) are seen as a critical part of a portfolio of low-carbon technologies capable of delivering deep cuts in anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, in line with the Paris Agreement goals. This paper proposes a new, transformative, incentive mechanism for CCS, forged by a ‘club’ of Parties to the Paris Agreement with a common interest: the pursuit of cleaner fossil fuels. A new CCS-specific technology mechanism is suggested as a means by which to unify the club’s actions, built upon a new tradable asset class specific to CCS: a carbon storage unit (CSU). A CSU would represent a verified tonne of carbon securely stored or sequestered in a geological reservoir i.e., a verified record of carbon stock addition to the geosphere, but with no intrinsic emission reduction or removal value. The authors argue that their proposed storage crediting scheme can complement and supplement carbon pricing, unlock new layers of climate finance for CCS, and overcome barriers historically faced by the technology.

7th April 2019
Policy Lessons From China’s CCS Experience

Policy Lessons From China’s CCS Experience

China’s political leadership has taken an increasingly public and proactive stance on climate change since 2014. This includes a commitment that Chinese carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions will peak before 2030 and enacting measures through the 13th Five-Year Plan to support energy efficiency, clean energy technology, and carbon management. Chinese policymakers consider carbon capture and storage (CCS) a critical bridging technology to help accelerate the decarbonization of its economy. This paper reviews and analyses Chinese CCS support policies from the perspective of an adaptive policymaking framework, recognizing uncertainty as an inherent element of the policymaking process, and draws more general lessons for responding to changing circumstances.

2nd July 2018
Enhanced Oil Recovery and CO2 Storage Potential Outside North America: An Economic Assessment

Enhanced Oil Recovery and CO2 Storage Potential Outside North America: An Economic Assessment

Storing carbon dioxide (CO2 ) in oil reservoirs as part of CO2 -based enhanced oil recovery (CO2 -EOR) can be a cost-effective solution to reduce emissions into the atmosphere. In this paper, we analyze the economics of this option in order to estimate the amount of CO2 that could be profitably stored in different regions of the world. We consider situations in which the CO2 -EOR operator either purchases the CO2 supplied or is paid for its storage. Building upon extensive data sets concerning the characteristics and location of oil reservoirs and emission sources, the paper focuses on opportunities outside North America. Using net present value (NPV) as an indicator for profitability, we conduct a break-even analysis to relate CO2 supply prices (positive or negative) to economically viable storage potential.

29th January 2018
Towards a Global Framework for Low-Emission Hydrogen: Certification and Trade in International Collaboration

Towards a Global Framework for Low-Emission Hydrogen: Certification and Trade in International Collaboration

The international certification and trade of low-emission hydrogen are critical for decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors such as heavy industry and transportation. However, fragmented regulatory frameworks across jurisdictions pose significant barriers to scaling global trade and investment. This paper questions the effectiveness of existing collaborative hydrogen initiatives and proposes the formation of a “Low-Emission Hydrogen Club” as a solution to unify certification frameworks and harmonize standards. By fostering plurilateral cooperation, such a club could accelerate market activation and enhance investment in low-emission hydrogen technologies.

18th May 2025
Paris Agreement Article 6 and Geological CO2 Storage: The State of Affairs After COP 28

Paris Agreement Article 6 and Geological CO2 Storage: The State of Affairs After COP 28

This KAPSARC commentary focuses on the role of CCS within the market mechanisms defined in Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. It discusses how related technologies fit under Article 6 and examines the current progress in implementing this article. The analysis draws insights from the CCS-specific provisions of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), which is part of the Kyoto Protocol and aimed to facilitate carbon dioxide (CO2) emission reduction projects in developing countries. These provisions are revisited as a foundational reference, offering a valuable perspective into the methods and processes necessary for integrating CCS into the market mechanisms of the Paris Agreement. The commentary concludes with an assessment of the next necessary steps to enable the development of CCS crediting projects under Article 6.

17th March 2024
Carbon Sequestration Units (CSUs): A New Tool to Mitigate Carbon Emissions

Carbon Sequestration Units (CSUs): A New Tool to Mitigate Carbon Emissions

The United Kingdom’s decision to aim for net zero emissions by 2050 and to enshrine it in law raises the bar for global policymakers as the world seeks to limit the impact of climate change. A recent European Commission paper outlined policy pathways toward carbon neutrality by 2050, but European governments are still at loggerheads as to whether to adopt the target. Climate experts highlight the urgency of cutting carbon emissions to net zero by 2050 if global warming is to be restricted to 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels.

13th January 2020

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