Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS)

Why in News?

India’s commitment to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2070 requires reducing emissions from energy-intensive industries. Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) is emerging as an important technology for decarbonising industries where emissions are difficult to eliminate through renewable energy and electrification alone.

What is CCUS?

• CCUS is a group of technologies used to capture carbon dioxide (CO₂) generated by industrial processes or fuel combustion.
• The captured CO₂ is then transported for productive use or stored permanently in suitable underground geological formations.
• It is particularly relevant for hard-to-abate sectors, where emissions arise from high-temperature industrial processes or the use of carbon-based raw materials.

How Does CCUS Work?

• Capture: CO₂ is separated from gases released during fuel combustion or industrial processes.
• Purification and Compression: Captured CO₂ is purified, dried and compressed into a dense form for transportation.
• Transportation: CO₂ is transported through pipelines, ships or other suitable modes.
• Utilisation or Storage: The captured CO₂ is either used in industrial applications or injected deep underground for permanent storage.

Main pathways for captured carbon dioxide

Utilisation	Permanent storage
Enhanced oil recovery	Depleted oil and gas reservoirs
Food and beverages	Deep saline aquifers
Urea production	Basaltic rock formations
Green methanol	Other suitable geological formations
Concrete production

Importance of CCUS for India

• Decarbonising hard-to-abate industries: Helps reduce emissions from steel, cement, refineries, chemicals, petrochemicals and fertiliser industries.
• Supporting Net Zero 2070: Provides an additional pathway to reduce industrial emissions alongside renewable energy, energy efficiency and electrification.
• Reducing emissions from existing facilities: Allows industries to continue producing essential goods while lowering their carbon footprint.
• Addressing process emissions: Captures CO₂ released directly through chemical reactions and industrial processes, which cannot always be eliminated by switching to renewable electricity.
• Supporting industrial transition: Can help industries move towards lower-carbon production without requiring the immediate replacement of all existing infrastructure.

Hard-to-Abate Sectors and the Need for CCUS

• Hard-to-abate sectors include steel, cement, refineries, chemicals and fertilisers.
• Their emissions arise not only from energy consumption but also from industrial processes and carbon-based inputs.
• Electrification and renewable energy alone may not eliminate these emissions.
• According to the figures in the supplied passage, emissions from these sectors and thermal power generation are expected to reach nearly 2,300 million tonnes per annum by 2030.

Source: PIB

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