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How the World is Tackling Carbon Emissions with CCS/CCUS: and the Challenges We Face

Climate change is a big challenge, and we need smart solutions to cut carbon emissions. That’s where Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) come in. These technologies capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from industrial processes and power plants, preventing it from going into the atmosphere and warming the planet.

Let’s look at three real-world examples of how CCS/CCUS is being used:

  1. Sleipner Project, Norway: Cleaning Up Natural Gas
    • Many natural gas fields produce gas with high CO2 levels. Companies need to remove this CO2 to sell the gas.
    • Since 1996, the Sleipner project in the North Sea has been capturing about 1 million tons of CO2 each year. It then stores this CO2 deep underground.
    • This project proves that we can safely store CO2 for a long time. It’s been very successful, with no leaks.
  1. Boundary Dam, Canada: Making Coal Power Cleaner
    • Coal power plants produce a lot of CO2s. Capturing it uses a lot of energy, meaning the plant produces less electricity.
    • The Boundary Dam plant in Canada is the first big coal plant to use CCUS. It captures CO2 and uses it for enhanced oil recovery.
    • Though it is still operating, it has struggled to reach the original goal for the amount of CO2 captured.
    • This shows how CCUS can work with coal but also highlights the challenges
  1. Illinois, USA: Capturing Carbon from Biofuel Production
    • Industries like chemical production and steelmaking also need to cut CO2.
    • A large agribusiness in Illinois started a project in 2011 to capture CO2 from its biofuel plant.
    • This plant has captures and stores capacity 1 million tons of CO2 per year, which is a big achievement.
    • However, the total CO2 output from the biofuel plant is much higher than the amount being captured. Meaning that technology and energy consumption are still big hurdles.

Challenges in CCS/CCUS Application

While CCS/CCUS shows promise, we need to acknowledge the challenges:

  1. Emissions from CCS operation (capturing technology) might underperform the project’s capacity: As shown by the Boundary Dam and Illinois projects, the actual amount of CO2 captured can fall short of planned targets due to energy consumption and technology limitations.
  2. Captured carbon is mostly used for EOR: A significant portion of captured CO2 is currently used for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR), which ultimately leads to more fossil fuel extraction. This raises questions about the long-term climate benefits.
  3. Using carbon capture to extend the life of fossil fuel power plants poses a financial and technical risk: Relying on CCS to prolong the operation of fossil fuel power plants carries financial and technical risks. The technology is still developing, and the long-term costs and effectiveness are uncertain.

Key Takeaway

CCS/CCUS technologies are being used around the world to reduce carbon emissions. While there are challenges, these projects show that it’s possible to capture and store CO2. However, we must address the challenges of underperformance, EOR reliance, and the risks associated with extending the life of fossil fuel plants to ensure CCS/CCUS contributes to a truly sustainable future. For developing countries specifically in Asia-Pacific, it is important to tackle carbon emission while fulfil growing energy demand. Therefore, having a clear and executable roadmap for emission management become key factor to overcome this issue.