Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is an industrial process for sequestering carbon dioxide emissions from source points like power plants or industrial facilities and transporting them for permanent storage in geological formations.
CCUS can make emissions-intensive industries more climate friendly, allowing them to continue operations while mitigating their negative impacts. This could prevent certain industries from becoming stranded assets.
Natural Carbon Sinks
The natural carbon cycle transports carbon through Earth’s atmosphere, living and dead organisms, soil and pools. These natural sinks (sometimes referred to as carbon pools ) remove greenhouse gasses from circulation while helping keep atmospheric concentrations stable.
Forests are one of nature’s most effective carbon sinks, absorbing CO2 through photosynthesis and emitting oxygen as they store carbon within their woody bodies before returning it back into the atmosphere when they die. Unfortunately, deforestation and land clearing for agriculture reduce forests’ ability to act as carbon sinks.
The oceans are an invaluable natural carbon sink, extracting carbon from the atmosphere through biological processes. Unfortunately, high CO2 concentrations cause ocean acidification, decreasing their capacity to counteract human-caused climate change. Wetlands and peatlands also play a significant role in this regard – it is vital that they are preserved from degradation to reach their full absorption potential.
Carbonates
Carbonates are rocks composed of carbon. As key components of coral reefs and playing an integral role in Earth’s ecosystem by helping regulate ocean pH levels, carbonates have long been recognized for their importance to Earth. Carbonates form via reactions between water and carbonic acid, with CO3(2-). Carbonates can be found naturally occurring minerals like limestone and dolomite as well as fossil fuels such as petroleum.
Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is an innovative technology for extracting CO2 emissions from power plants or industrial processes and then permanently storing them underground or other geological formations, often without using artificial means such as carbon capture technology. Also referred to as Carbon Capture Utilization Storage (CCUS).
CCS market penetration is currently small due to most projects designed to make existing oil and gas operations more profitable, rather than reduce emissions. To meet emissions reduction goals, carbon capture technology must be deployed widely through applications like bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) as well as combined with zero emission energy production technologies such as renewables.
Soil
Soil covers much of Earth’s surface and is made up of an intricate mix of inorganic and organic substances, as well as being highly dynamic in terms of erosion, weathering, and microbial activity.
Earth is covered with plant roots, fungi, bacteria and other microbes that contribute to maintaining ecological equilibrium through decomposing organic material like leaves and grass, while drawing water and nitrogen out of the air for feeding plants.
Scientists have organized the world’s soils into 12 distinct orders, each distinguished by one or two dominant physical, chemical, or biological properties. Each order bears its own Latin root word name as well as unique hue that reflect their history.
Soils are an incredible carbon sink, absorbing more than one quarter of all carbon emissions produced from burning fossil fuels and more than all forests combined. Scientists are currently exploring ways to maximize this potential even further, from mineral carbonation (transforming CO2 into stable minerals) and reforestation to carbon farming and mining.
Forests
Forests are complex ecosystems that support many animal and plant species, covering an estimated 31 percent of earth’s land mass. Forests provide essential services such as food, shelter, energy generation and income generation for billions of people worldwide.
Forests (known as taiga) store significant amounts of carbon due to their vast biomass and lignin content, which decompose more slowly than other plant materials. Boreal forests in particular are especially abundant with this resource and offer habitats for various species that would otherwise not thrive elsewhere due to the cold climate conditions.
Carbon capture and storage technologies should form part of any comprehensive strategy to address climate change, but should not be seen as an excuse to delay drastic fossil fuel cuts, according to the International Energy Agency and other bodies. CCS technologies are expensive and commercial-scale demonstrations are still in their early stages.
Captured CO2 gas is compressed and transported by pipeline to geologic storage sites for permanent injection into deep formations for storage. Often this involves oil and gas reservoirs but other potential sites include saline formations or coal beds too deep or thin for mining operations.