Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology has long been employed as a way to mitigate climate-warming CO2 emissions by transporting and permanently storing it underground in geological formations. CCS has been utilized since at least the 1970s.
Some carbon is stored naturally as part of Earth’s carbon cycle; plants store carbon in their roots and soils, for instance.
What is CCS?
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is an arsenal of proven technologies designed to capture, store and permanently dispose of CO2 emissions from industrial processes and power plants, or remove it directly from the atmosphere. CCS may also be combined with bioenergy with CCS (BECCS) in order to effectively decrease harmful emissions associated with burning fossil fuels while slowing global temperature rise.
CCS involves collecting climate-warming CO2 emissions from power plants or other sources and transporting them for safe underground storage. CO2 can then be stored safely for millions of years within deep saline rock formations that have previously held oil and gas, providing an extremely secure long-term solution.
Once captured, CO2 can be liquefied and shipped directly to ports for use as feedstock or permanent storage. Existing infrastructure enables ships carrying liquid CO2 today; its capacity could expand with increased demand. Carbon can also be transported and stored at land-based storage sites to assist enhanced oil recovery efforts.
How does CCS work?
Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies reduce emissions from industrial processes like steel production, cement manufacture, fossil fuel power generation and other sources by capturing CO2 before it enters the atmosphere. Captured CO2 is then transported and permanently stored underground in geological formations such as saline aquifers or depleted oil and gas reservoirs for future release into the atmosphere.
Capture methods depend on the source of emissions, but typically involve purifying and compressing CO2 into dense liquid form for transport via pipeline or specially equipped ships to a storage site.
Government policies are key in supporting CCS technology development to meet global climate targets and accelerate progress toward net-zero emissions. Carbon pricing mechanisms, emission reduction mandates and streamlining permitting and regulatory frameworks all play an integral role. Investment in innovative technologies like the Northern Pathfinder and Northern Pioneer could open up large scale CCS’ potential. These vessels serve as LNG-powered CO2 carrier vessels designed specifically to transport captured carbon to underground storage safely.
What are the benefits of CCS?
Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology enables us to significantly lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel power plants and other industrial processes, thus contributing to meeting Paris climate agreement goals. CCS technology is also useful in cutting emissions from heavy industries like cement production where alternatives may not yet be available.
CCS could also be combined with biomass or waste-to-energy technologies for renewable power production – this process is known as Bioenergy with CCS (BECCS).
Finally, direct air capture (DAC), is an emerging technology capable of extracting CO2 from the atmosphere and permanently sequestering it underground for long-term storage. While further research may be necessary to become cost and energy-effective, its potential is clear.
Integrating carbon capture and storage technology with natural gas infrastructure can reduce emissions from fossil fuel infrastructure while helping facilitate the transition to renewables, as well as being an invaluable tool in decarbonising hard-to-decarbonise industries like cement, steel and chemical manufacturing. CO2 storage occurs underground like its fossil fuel counterpart – similar to how oil and gas have been stored for millions of years in rock formations underground.
What are the challenges of CCS?
CCS presents one main challenge to energy production, in that it adds additional costs to power generation; coal and gas-fired plants in particular may experience doubled prices due to CCS. Furthermore, its costs can increase steel manufacturing, cement production and ammonia production (which feeds fertiliser production). Many projects that capture CO2 also support EOR projects thereby subsidizing oil exploitation efforts.
Transportation and storage of CO2 pose numerous difficulties, as its transport is dangerous with risks of leakage, acidification and contamination of groundwater seepage occurring if CO2 seeps into it from pipelines, as well as designing pipelines to high safety standards to prevent accidents and leakage occurring.
Finally, CCS investments could be better utilized through other climate solutions, including fuel switching and material efficiency initiatives. This is particularly applicable to sectors like heavy industry which can be hard to decarbonise.