Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) captures CO2 emissions from industrial sources and power plants, then transports and permanently stores the CO2 underground. Current CCS projects capture over 40 million tons of CO2 annually , with costs ranging from $50-100 per ton for industrial sources.
Important Considerations
Long-term storage verification and leakage concerns require monitoring. Public acceptance and regulatory framework still developing.
How It Works
Post-combustion capture uses chemical solvents like amines to absorb CO2 from flue gases. Pre-combustion systems gasify fuel and separate CO2 before combustion. Captured CO2 is compressed and transported via pipeline to geological storage sites in depleted oil/gas fields or saline aquifers.
Advantages
Can capture 85-95% of emissions from large point sources, enables continued use of existing industrial infrastructure, proven storage technology with millions of years of retention, can be retrofitted to existing plants, and supports industrial decarbonization in hard-to-abate sectors.
Challenges
High energy penalty reduces plant efficiency by 15-30%, significant capital costs ($2-4 billion for large plants), requires extensive CO2 transport infrastructure, long-term storage liability concerns, and faces public acceptance challenges.