CESAR / CLEO aims for a breakthrough in the development of low-cost post-combustion CO₂ capture technology to provide economically feasible solutions for both new power plants and retrofit of existing power plants. These are responsible for the majority of all anthropogenic CO₂ emissions (worldwide, approx. 5,000 power plants emit around 11 Gt CO₂/year). CESAR / CLEO focuses on post-combustion as it is the only feasible technology for retrofit and current power plant technology. Moreover, analysis of the current R&D in Europe shows that there is yet no follow-up to the post-combustion work in the CASTOR project as in R&D aimed at other types of carbon capture technologies. The primary objective is to decrease the cost of capture down to 15 €/tCO₂.

The Institute of Energy Systems of Hamburg University of Technology is dealing with the dynamic behaviour of Power Plant with Post Combustion Capture Plant in the CESAR sub-project CLEO.