Is CCUS Technology the Solution to Decarbonize Carbon-Heavy Sectors?
The issue of global warming is arguably the biggest concern for humanity today. Nations globally are trying to come up with solutions and measures to ensure more sustainable biodiversity and ecosystem.
In terms of global warming, there are different gases responsible for causing the Earth’s environment to warm up, and carbon dioxide (CO2) is the prominent one.
CO2 gas causes a slow down in the process of heat loss from the Earth’s surface by creating a blanket that restricts the loss of heat from the atmosphere, thus, making the Earth’s atmosphere warmer every time.
Government institutions, industrial organizations, as well as scientists across the world, are working on finding ways to limit the extent of carbon emissions in the atmosphere.
Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) is one such promising technology that can help to overcome the problem of high CO2 emissions in the atmosphere.
So, what exactly is this CCUS technology, and what makes it a promising solution for a more sustainable future? Let’s find out.
What is CCUS technology?
Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) refers to a method of storing and recycling carbon dioxide gas for its use in other industrial applications, such as producing several valuable products, which can be used in different sectors such as the oil and gas sector.
An example of such a valuable product produced from the recycling of CO2 is methanol which is used as a biofuel. There are several other products produced from the conversion of CO2, such as plastics and reactants, which are mainly used for chemical production.
How exactly does this CCUS technology work?
There are mainly four working steps of CCUS technology involved in controlling and handling the carbon dioxide:
- Capture
The first step of CCUS starts with collecting the CO2 gas from prominent sources, such as an industrial plant. The capturing is done mainly through three different types of processes, namely, oxy-fuel combustion, post-combustion, and pre-combustion.
Each of these procedures has its own set of pathways to promote the separation and collection of CO2.
- Transportation
The next step after capturing the CO2 is to transport them to different storage sites. It is usually performed with the use of a different pipeline.
- Conversion
The third step of CCUS technology is to convert CO2 into various biological chemicals and different chemical products that can be used in the future for chemical synthesis, improving yields, and desalination.
- Storage
The last step of CCUS is to store the collected CO2 in saline aquifers or oil reservoirs to facilitate the uncontrolled use of significant international infrastructure.
According to BIS Research, the global carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) market was valued at $2.1 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach $12.16 billion by 2031, with a growth rate of 19.2% during the forecast period 2022–2031.
Do any industries use CCUS technology currently?
CCUS technology is being used to reduce the carbon footprint by several industries across the world:
- Construction Industry
The construction industry is responsible for producing more than 10% of total carbon emissions produced globally.
CCUS technology, for example, allows the cement industry to reduce carbon emissions by helping to create green cement.
It is because reducing the CO2 emission in the current pricing of cement manufacturing is not possible. At the same time, increasing the price of cement suddenly is also challenging.
So, the introduction of green cement by highlighting the fact that zero CO2 emission took place while the preparation of this cement can be a game changer for the cement sector, and CCUS technology plays a key role in the preparation of the cement.
· Agriculture Industry
Producing fertilizers in the agriculture sector is responsible for about 2% of total CO2 emissions globally.
CCUS technology can allow farmers to reduce the CO2 emissions while still allowing them to develop reliable harvests by absorbing the CO2 gases being produced from an organism that is dead
- Automotive Industry
Hydrogen has already started getting accepted as an alternative energy source for several vehicle types globally, such as buses, trains, and cars.
Producing hydrogen can be done easily from natural gas, but this method also emits high CO2 into the atmosphere.
CCUS technology can capture the CO2 and store them before they reach the environment. Due to the CCUS, vehicles being powered using blue hydrogen will emit only heat and water.
The Expected Global Impact
As per the Grantham Institute at the London School of Economics, the only present technology capable of capturing carbon and reducing carbon emissions is CCUS technology.
Following are some of the promising benefits that CCUS technology can provide to different industries:
- Help to Reduce CO2 Emissions
The capability of CCUS to capture CO2 and store them in geological formations is expected to reduce approximately 20% of the present CO2 emissions from different energy and industrial production sources.
- Help to Reduce the Social Cost of Carbon
During the procedures of oxy-fuel combustion, an oxygen-concentrated environment is created for burning fuels that result in the reduction of sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide (N2O) gases which are dangerous to the atmosphere.
Also, removing or reducing CO2 from the atmosphere can help to reduce the damage to the environment and society.
Conclusion
By 2050, the world is targeting to achieve its net-zero emission goal, and CCUS technology qualifies to be one of the most efficient and productive solutions to meet this global target.
To date, it is the only technology ever developed for the reduction of harmful gases from the atmosphere.
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