Findings from the Global Status of CCS 2024 report show strong growth in CCS projects across all stages of development. There are a total of 628 projects in the pipeline – an increase of 236 projects compared to the previous year. The cumulative CO₂ capture capacity for these projects is now 416mn t/y, representing a seven-year CAGR of 32%. Facilities currently in operation have a capacity to capture and store 51mn t/y of CO₂. This figure is on track to double to over 100mn t/y once facilities currently under construction commence operation.

The Americas continue to lead the world in CCS facility deployment, says the report, with 27 projects in operation, and 18 commencing construction across the US, Brazil and Canada. The US government continues to directly fund new investment through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, with approximately $10bn awarded (or in negotiations) to support carbon management and clean hydrogen hubs. Canada’s federal carbon price increased by CA$15/t in April 2024 to CA$80/t and will rise by CA$15/t annually, reaching CA$170/t by 2030, with all provincial programmes required to meet this federal benchmark. Meanwhile, Brazil has become the first South American country to enact CCS-specific legislation.  

Across Asia, hubs and cross-border CCS projects are the dominant trend, according to the report. For example, Malaysia and Indonesia are seeking to develop all aspects of the CCS value chain to manage domestic emissions and store imported CO₂ for a fee. Japan, Singapore and South Korea are actively seeking to develop transnational CCS value chains and to export CO₂ for storage in Malaysia, Indonesia or Australia.  

In China, CCS is prominent in climate policy. The Implementation Plan for Green and Low-Carbon Technology Demonstration provides financial support to recognised decarbonisation projects, including CCS. Six of the first 47 selected projects are CCS-related, including the world’s largest capture facility on a coal-fired power plant currently under construction that will capture 1.5mn t/y CO₂.

Across Europe, 191 projects are at various stages of development, including five in operation and 10 in construction. Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK have introduced or announced industrial carbon management strategies or roadmaps for CCS deployment. Denmark and Sweden have committed to providing financial support for the reduction of biogenic CO₂ emissions, and Denmark has issued its first onshore CO₂ storage exploration licence. The UK government recently announced up to £21.7bn of funding support over the next 25 years for two CCS clusters.

Across the Middle East and Africa (MEA), the report finds that CCS project development has evolved from application in enhanced oil recovery to a focus on industrial decarbonisation and low-carbon fuel development. The UAE has announced its Industrial Decarbonisation Roadmap which includes CCS, its Long-Term Strategy envisaging 43.5mn t/y of CCS capacity by 2050. Meanwhile, Saudi Aramco announced an increase in its CCS target to 14mn t/y CO₂ by 2035 and Oman launched its CCUS and Blue Hydrogen Framework. In Africa, Kenya announced a 1mn t/y Direct Air Capture project. Combined, these are expected to contribute to a projected MEA CCS capacity of at least 65mn t/y by 2035.

The report notes that as progress continues at pace globally, the business case for CCS is being bolstered with the evolution of new carbon management business models and strong interest in CCS hubs and networks.

According to the report, 222 transport and storage projects currently do not include an associated capture facility. This number has more than doubled over 12 months. This underscores the predominance of new carbon management business models and the anticipated market for these services.  

Jarad Daniels, Chief Executive Officer, Global CCS Institute, comments: ‘Mitigating climate change will require massive infrastructure investments, including new transmission grids for low-carbon electricity generation, as well as pipelines and shipping for both CO₂ and low-carbon energy carriers such as hydrogen in various forms. Carbon management hubs and networks can help bring economies of scale to this required new infrastructure.’

Moomba CCS project milestone

In other news, the Moomba CCS facility, one of the world’s largest CCS projects, has been successfully commissioned. All facilities, pipelines and injector wells at the project are now online.  

Located adjacent to the Moomba gas plant in the Cooper Basin, South Australia, Moomba CCS is a joint venture between Santos and Beach Energy. It comprises a four-stage compressor, five injection wells, CO₂ dehydration and CO₂ pipelines.

Approximately 250,000 tonnes of CO₂ is expected to be injected this year, with the project already at full injection rates. It has the potential to capture and store approximately 1.7mn t/y of CO₂.

Biodegradable plastic produced from CO₂ emissions  

Meanwhile, Finnish company Fortum Recycling & Waste claims to have successfully produced biodegradable plastic from CO₂ captured from the emissions at its waste incineration plant in Riihimäki, Finland, which is claimed to be a world first.  

The company’s Carbon2x programme piloted carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) in 2022. The programme aims to capture CO₂ emissions from the incineration of non-recyclable waste and use them to produce sustainable products.    

‘Captured CO₂ should be utilised as a new raw material instead of storing it underground or releasing it into the atmosphere when using fuel. Utilising captured CO₂ is a much more sustainable option in terms of tackling resource scarcity in the future. Whereas CCS is a linear solution that does not address the growing material shortage, CCU promotes circular economy,’ comments Tony Rehn, Head, Carbon2x.  

Similar carbon capture development projects are underway in several industrial sectors in Finland and globally, but the majority of them focus on the production of synthetic fuels.  

Every year, Europe generates nearly 100mn tonnes of non-recyclable waste that is incinerated and utilised in energy production. According to Rehn, the wider implementation of the Carbon2x programme’s innovation would mean that up to 90% of the CO₂ emissions released into the atmosphere from waste incineration could be captured and bound into products.