Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies capture CO2 emissions from power plants and factories so they never reach the atmosphere, where it can then either be safely stored underground for permanent storage, or used to produce products like concrete and synthetic fuels.
Facilities currently equipped with CCUS capture up to 90% of CO2 from their flue gases, pumping it underground into basalt formations for permanent storage.
Capture
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) involves collecting CO2 emissions from factories and fossil-fuel-burning power plants so they do not escape into the atmosphere. CCS has become an effective technology to mitigate climate change; however, its deployment remains limited due to being both costly and energy intensive to operate.
Captured carbon dioxide can be stored underground in specific geological formations for long-term sequestration or used as an ingredient in products like concrete, chemicals and synthetic fuels. If used for purposes other than permanent storage purposes it can either reemit into the atmosphere or captured via carbon dioxide removal technologies.
Carbon capture and storage may reduce the impact of industrial processes that use coal, but is unlikely to provide a zero-emissions or low-carbon solution in its current form attached to fossil fuel power stations and oil refineries. The technology remains highly polluting.
Compression
CCUS technologies collect carbon dioxide emissions sources, compress it, and transport it underground for storage in depleted oil and gas reservoirs or unmineable coal deposits – crucial elements in creating climate mitigation pathways which avoid dangerous greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, thus supporting clean energy transition.
Capturing and transporting CO2 from point sources like power plants or industrial facilities can be complex and time consuming, requiring heavy machinery. Projects involving storage such as Snohvit in Norway or Petra Nova in the US take an estimated seven years from conception to completion (including building necessary transport/storage infrastructure).
CCS technology is progressing quickly, which will be essential in meeting global emission reduction goals. While true demonstration projects may encounter technical hurdles, their experiences will prove invaluable for all future CCS endeavors.
Transport
Carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) is a proven technology suite that can mitigate climate change by cutting greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel power plants before they reach the atmosphere and by helping remove CO2 already present in the air. It may also help mitigate emissions already present by sequestering them underground or from existing atmospheric CO2.
Carbon dioxide takes up far less volume when compressed, liquefied or solidified than when in its gaseous state, making long distance transport simpler. Pipelines are commonly used as transport routes for large volumes of liquid or liquefied CO2.
For projects requiring onshore capture and offshore injection sites, specialized ships may be used as transportation. At some sites, trucks may also be utilized to move CO2 from its capture site to storage locations.
Storage
Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) technologies capture CO2 emissions from power plants, fossil fuel-burning industrial facilities or other point sources and transport it underground for storage or incorporation into products like concrete or chemicals – helping to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions while lessening or even eliminating their negative effect on our climate.
CO2 captured from emissions is compressed into liquid form before being transported via pipelines, ships or rail cars to storage sites for long-term storage in deep geological formations such as depleted oil and gas reservoirs, coal beds or deep saline aquifers for injection into permanent repositories.
CCS is an intricate technology, requiring integration between three steps – capture, transportation and geological storage – as well as being more expensive than some other clean energy technologies. However, there is consensus among experts that mitigating climate change requires using multiple technical strategies simultaneously, including carbon capture and storage.