What is CCUS?

Power supply and carbon-intensive industries (cement, steel, limestone, petrochemical and chemical plants and waste incinerator) account for a large share of CO2 emissions. Carbon, capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) is the process consisting in the separation of CO2 from industrial and energy related sources, its transportation to a storage location and finally its long-term isolation from the atmosphere. CCUS is one of the only technology solutions that can significantly reduce emissions from these key industrial processes (all of which will remain vital building blocks of modern society) as well as in coal and gas power generation and deliver the deep emissions reductions needed across.

The difference between carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon capture and utilization (CCU) is the final use of the captured CO2.

CARBON CAPTURE AND UTILISATION

(CCU)

CCU converts captured CO2 into a wide range of commercial products and applications.

A wide range of CO2 utilization technologies can be envisaged, including CO2 to chemicals, fuels, and durable materials, CO2 to mineral carbonation and construction materials, as well as CO2 to biological algae cultivation and enzymatic conversion.

CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE

(CCS)

CCS technologies capture CO2 from industrial flue gas and transport it to a geological site for long-term storage.

Captured CO2 can be geologically stored, either permanently or over geological time scales, in saline aquifer, oil and gas reservoirs, or potentially in unmineable coal seams.

The most mature technology, post combustion CO2 capture by amine scrubbing, does not offer sufficient performances nowadays. Several technologies at different levels of maturity and performances can be envisaged for capturing the CO2 from (e.g. oxy-fuel combustion, chilled ammonia technology, adsorptive processes, calcium looping, etc.).

Almost all climate plans are integrating CCUS in the equation, however research and innovation is still highly needed in order to make such plans viable. MOF4AIR has the ambition to make CCUS a reality for a more sustainable future.

For more information on CCUS, you can download the factsheet on “Reducing CO2 emissions in energy-intensive companies”

 

 

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