CARBON SEQUESTRATION LEADERSHIP FORUM (CSLF) AND

UNCLAS ROME 002192 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR OES/EGC WATSON, FENDLEY, DE ROSA OES/STC ANSKE, ROTTIER EUR/WE BURKHEAD US DOE MCKEE, SOLIMAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ENRG SENV TSPL IT SUBJECT: CARBON SEQUESTRATION LEADERSHIP FORUM (CSLF) AND JUNE 16-18 S&T REVIEW MEETINGS REF: SECSTATE 96689 ¶1. THIS IS AN ACTION REQUEST FOR DEPT AND US DOE. SEE PARA ¶6. ¶2. ESTCOUNS AND ECONOFF JOINED US DOE OFFICIALS MCKEE AND DER IN MAY 2 DISCUSSIONS WITH MINISTRY OF PRODUCTIVE ACTIVITIES (MPA) DG ALESSANDRO ORTIS AND ESTCOUNS FOLLOWED UP CSLF AND RELATED ENERGY S&T ISSUES WITH ORTIS' STAFF MAY 9. ODDS ARE THAT MPA MINISTER MARZANO WILL NOT TRAVEL TO WASHINGTON FOR THE JUNE 23-25 CSLF. AS RAISED BY ORTIS WITH MCKEE, MARZANO IS INTERESTED IN A LIVE VIDEO CONNECTION TO THE MINISTERIAL ROUNDTABLE SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 24. THE GOI DELEGATION WILL INCLUDE MPA, MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, AND INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES, BUT COMPOSITION IS NOT YET DETERMINED. ¶3. DURING THE MAY 2 ROUNDTABLE, MCKEE PRESENTED THE CSLF AND DER THE FUTUREGEN PROJECT TO AN AUDIENCE OF ABOUT 25 INDUSTRY AND GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES. DG ORTIS SET THE STAGE BY SAYING THAT MPA MINISTER MARZANO HAS RETURNED FROM THE PARIS IEA MINISTERIAL "HYDROGENIZED". FOLLOWING THE PRESENTATIONS, INDUSTRY AND GOVERNMENT REPS REVIEWED ITALIAN EFFORTS IN CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND HYDROGEN PROJECTS. FINMECCANICA'S ANSALDO UNIT, ENEL, ENI, ENEA, AND THE MINISTRY FOR RESEARCH, UNIVERSITIES AND EDUCATION (MIUR) WERE AMONG RESPONDENTS. MPA IS COLLECTING A PACKAGE OF REFERENCE PAPERS WHICH POST WILL FORWARD TO DEPT. AND US DOE UPON RECEIPT. ¶4. IN SEPARATE MEETING, MCKEE, ORTIS, AND ESTCOUN DISCUSSED BILATERAL S&T COOPERATION IN THE CONTEXT OF CSFL AND FUTURE BEN, ORTIS SAID HE HAD YET TO MEET WITH ENVIRONMENT DG CLINI TO SORT OUT LEADERSHIP AND COORDINATION ON ENERGY ISSUES WITHIN THE GOI AND UNDER THE U.S. - ITALY BILATERAL AGREEMENT ON CLIMATE AND THE S&T UMBRELLA AGREEMENT, WHERE SIX OR SEVEN SPECIFIC ENERGY ANNEXES CONCERN THEMSELVES WITH FUEL CELLS, CLEAN COAL, GEOTHERMAL ENERGY, PHOTO VOLTAICS, ADVANCED POWER SYSTEMS, AND OTHER AREAS OF COOPERATION. IN THE 9 MAY FOLLOW UP MEETING, ESTCOUNS DISCUSSED WITH MARCELLO CAPRA OF ORTIS' STAFF THE POSSIBILITY OF AN ADDITIONAL ANNEX BETWEEN MPA AND USDOE ON HYDROGEN, ESPECIALLY INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES. ¶5. CAPRA, WHO IS THE GOI POC ON ENERGY ISSUES TO BE DISCUSSED AT THE JUNE S&T BIENNIAL REVIEW MEETING, AGREED THAT THE GOI WOULD BE PREPARED TO DISCUSS COOPERATION UNDER THE EXISTING ANNEXES, INCLUDING GEOTHERMAL, ADDING HYDROGEN AS A NEW AND SPECIFIC TOPIC TO THE AGENDA OF THE ENERGY WORKING GROUP. ¶6. ACTION REQUEST: FOR US DOE: PLEASE PROVIDE UPDATE ON FOREIGN GOVERNMENT PARTICIPATION AT CSLF, AND ADVISE WHETHER A LIVE VIDEO LINK INTERVENTION BY MPA MINISTER MARZANO WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE JUNE 24 PROGRAM. FOR DEPT. AND US DOE: IT WOULD BE MOST HELPFUL TO KNOW WASHINGTON'S DECISION ON HOW THE JUNE 16 CLIMATE BILATERAL AND JUNE 17 S&T BILATERAL GROUP MEETING ON CLEAN ENERGIES WILL BE COORDINATED TO ENSURE EFFECTIVE PARTICIPATION OF MPA'S NOW HIGHLY ENERGIZED TECHNICAL SECRETARIAT. SEMBLER NNNN 2003ROME02192 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED