CCS gathers momentum in response to rising climate ambitions

A new climate report released by the Global CCS Institute (GCCSI) has highlighted the continuing growth of carbon capture and storage (CCS) worldwide. In 2021, the total capacity of the CCS projectpipeline increased for the fourth year in a row, by almost one third over the previous year.

According to Jarad Daniels, CEO, GCCSI, the dramatic increase in projects in development reinforces the critical role of CCS in reaching global climate goals within the short timeframe required. ‘As we accelerate toward net zero emissions by mid-century and establish clearer interim targets, CCS will be integral to the decarbonisation of energy and industrial sectors such as cement, fertilisers and chemicals, and will open new opportunities in areas including clean hydrogen and carbon dioxide removal.’

The flagship Global Status of CCS report provides a global snapshot of CCS progress around the world. The 2021 report shows:

• Of the 135 commercial CCS facilities in the project pipeline, 27 are fully operating, four are under construction, and 102 are under development.
• A total of 71 new CCS facilities were added to the project pipeline in 2021.
• As of September 2021, the CO₂ capture capacity of all CCS facilities under development has grown from 73mn t/y to 111mn t/y – a 48% increase over 2020.
• North America continues to be the global front runner in CCS deployment, with over 40 new CCS projects announced in 2021. This can largely be attributed to CCS tax credits, stronger climate commitments – including the US re-joining the Paris Agreement – and anticipated rise in demand for low-carbon energy products.
• CCS projects are becoming increasingly diverse, with facilities in development in a broad range of sectors including power generation, LNG, cement, steel, waste-to-energy, direct air capture and storage, and hydrogen production.
• Several new countries now have commercial CCS facilities under development, including Belgium, Denmark, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, and Sweden.
• CCS networks – in which multiple emissions sources share transport and storage infrastructure – are increasingly becoming the dominant operating model, incorporating ever-larger volumes of CO₂.

‘The International Energy Agency's Sustainable Development Scenario foresees 15% of emissions reductions to come from CCS, requiring a 100-fold increase in the capacity of operational facilities by 2050.  While the acceleration of CCS adoption is promising, more urgency in the deployment of the technology is needed to reach 2050 climate goals,’ notes Guloren Turan, General Manager of Advocacy and Communication, GCCSI.