What is carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) and does it have the potential to be a critical technology to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions? It is envisioned that CCUS will enable many economies to reduce GHG emissions as part of their clean energy transition. CCUS can reduce GHG emissions from hydrocarbon consumption across power generation, industrial, refining, chemical and transportation sectors while allowing the utilization of hydrocarbon reserves.
CCUS is the separation, entrapment, and sequestration of CO2 that would otherwise be emitted to the atmosphere. CO2 must remain sequestered from the atmosphere for centuries for it to be considered effective. Geologic sequestration is the most developed method, while other methods such as ocean storage, mineralization and utilization are being investigated for use at commercial scale.
CCUS systems have the potential to reduce CO2 emissions from large, stationary CO2 sources in the electricity, heat and industrial sectors, such as: coal, oil and natural gas fired power plants, cement manufacturing plants, ammonia plants, iron and non-ferrous metal smelters, industrial boilers, refineries and natural gas wells. CCUS systems attached to electrolysis, steam methane reforming or other hydrogen production facilities have the potential to decarbonize the transportation sector. Direct air capture (DAC) is an emerging CCUS technology that could enable CO2 capture away from large, stationary CO2 sources and, when combined with non-GHG emitting electricity, could provide net negative CO2 emissions.
CCUS enables fossil fuels to be used in power and process industry applications in which fossil fuels have proven to be vital while limiting the amount of CO2 emitted as part of their utilization.
