Carbon capture is a technology that captures carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from sources like power plants and factories. The CO₂ is then either stored deep underground in geological formations or reused in products, helping to reduce greenhouse gases and combat climate change effectively.
Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges of our time. Rising global temperatures, melting glaciers, extreme weather events, and shifting ecosystems are just a few of the visible consequences of our planet’s warming.
At the heart of this issue lies carbon dioxide (CO₂), a greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere and is largely emitted by the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas.
To keep global warming in check, scientists agree that we must drastically cut down on CO₂ emissions. That’s where carbon capture, also known as carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), comes into play. While not a silver bullet, it is one of the key tools in our climate toolkit.
But what is carbon capture? How does it work, and can it make a difference? Let’s delve into the science, technology, debates, and real-world applications of carbon capture to understand its role in combating climate change.
The Basics of Carbon Capture
Carbon capture is exactly what it sounds like: a technology that captures carbon dioxide emissions before they are released into the atmosphere.
The idea is to capture CO₂ where it is produced, typically at large industrial facilities such as power plants, cement factories, and steel mills, and either store it underground or reuse it in some manner.
The process generally involves three main steps:
- Capturing CO₂: Separating carbon dioxide from the other gases produced during industrial processes.
- Transporting CO₂: Moving the captured CO₂, usually through pipelines, to a storage location.
- Storing CO₂: Injecting the CO₂ deep underground into geological formations, such as depleted oil and gas fields or deep saline aquifers, where it can remain safely for thousands of years.
In some cases, instead of storing the CO₂, industries are finding ways to reuse it, such as converting it into fuels, plastics, or building materials. This is where the “utilization” part of CCUS comes in.
Why Is Carbon Capture Important?
Carbon capture is seen as a critical part of global climate strategy for several reasons:
Not All Emissions Can Be Eliminated Easily
Some industries, such as steel and cement production, release CO₂ not just from burning fossil fuels, but as a natural part of the manufacturing process.
These are called process emissions, and even switching to renewable energy won’t eliminate them. Carbon capture can help reduce these otherwise unavoidable emissions.
Helps in the Transition
The shift to renewable energy takes time. In the meantime, fossil fuels are still heavily embedded in the global economy. Carbon capture provides a way to reduce emissions from existing infrastructure while cleaner alternatives are scaled up.
Can Enable Negative Emissions
When carbon capture is paired with bioenergy (using organic matter like wood or crops to generate energy), it can actually result in negative emissions. This is known as BECCS (Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage).
Plants absorb CO₂ as they grow, and when they’re used for fuel and the emissions are captured and stored, it removes more CO₂ from the atmosphere than it emits.
Supports Net-Zero Goals
To limit global warming to 1.5°C or even 2°C as outlined in the Paris Agreement, the world must reach net-zero emissions, where the amount of greenhouse gases emitted is balanced by the amount removed.
Carbon capture helps make that balance possible, especially for sectors where zero emissions are hard to achieve.
How Does Carbon Capture Work?
There are several technologies for capturing carbon, depending on where and how it’s being used:
Post-Combustion Capture
This is the most common method, especially in power plants. It captures CO₂ from the flue gas emitted after fossil fuels are burned. Chemicals called solvents, such as amines, are often used to absorb the CO₂, which is then separated and compressed.
Pre-Combustion Capture
Here, fossil fuels are converted into a gas mixture of hydrogen and CO₂ before they are burned. The CO₂ is removed, and the hydrogen is used as fuel. This process is more efficient than post-combustion but typically requires new or modified plants.
Oxy-Fuel Combustion
This technique burns fossil fuels in pure oxygen instead of air, resulting in a flue gas that’s mostly CO₂ and water vapor, making it easier to separate and store the CO₂.
Direct Air Capture (DAC)
While not part of industrial emissions, DAC is a technology that pulls CO₂ directly from the atmosphere. Though currently expensive and energy-intensive, it holds promise for helping reverse climate change over the long term.
Where Does the Captured Carbon Go?
Once CO₂ is captured, it must be transported to a storage site. This is usually done via pipelines, but trucks and ships can also be used for smaller amounts.
The CO₂ is then injected deep underground into geological formations that can hold it securely, such as:
- Depleted oil and gas fields: These are well-mapped and have proven to hold fluids for millions of years.
- Deep saline aquifers: Layers of porous rock filled with salty water, located thousands of feet below the surface.
- Basalt formations: In some cases, CO₂ reacts with volcanic rock to form solid carbonates, permanently locking it away.
These storage sites are carefully selected and monitored to ensure that CO₂ doesn’t leak back into the atmosphere.
Utilization: Turning Carbon Into Value
Instead of storing CO₂, some companies are exploring ways to use it. This area, called carbon utilization, is still developing but holds promise.
Some current and potential uses include:
- Creating synthetic fuels (e.g., carbon-neutral jet fuel)
- Producing carbonated beverages
- Using CO₂ in enhanced oil recovery (EOR), where it helps push more oil out of aging wells
- Making building materials like concrete that absorb CO₂ during curing
- Converting CO₂ into plastics, chemicals, or even diamonds
While utilization alone won’t solve the carbon crisis, it can help offset costs and promote innovation in carbon management.
Global Efforts and Projects
Carbon capture is not a new idea, but it’s gaining new momentum. As of 2025, there are around 40 commercial CCUS facilities operating or under development worldwide, with capacity to capture over 45 million metric tons of CO₂ annually.
Some notable projects include:
- Boundary Dam (Canada): One of the world’s first commercial power plants with carbon capture.
- Petra Nova (USA): Captured over 1 million tons of CO₂ per year before shutting down in 2020 due to economic factors.
- Sleipner Project (Norway): Has been storing CO₂ beneath the North Sea since 1996.
- Orca Plant (Iceland): A direct air capture facility that uses renewable energy and stores CO₂ in basalt rock.
Countries like the United States, China, Norway, the UK, and Saudi Arabia are investing heavily in carbon capture as part of their climate plans.
Challenges and Criticisms
Despite its potential, carbon capture is not without controversy. Critics argue that:
- It’s Too Expensive: Capturing and storing CO₂ can cost between $50 and $150 per ton, depending on the method and facility. Without government support or carbon pricing, many companies can’t justify the cost.
- It Enables Continued Fossil Fuel Use: Some environmentalists fear that carbon capture provides a “license to pollute,” allowing fossil fuel industries to delay the transition to cleaner energy.
- Limited Deployment: Currently, CCUS is capturing a tiny fraction of global emissions—less than 0.1%, so scaling up is critical but slow.
- Risk of Leakage: While storage sites are designed to be secure, concerns remain about long-term monitoring and potential leaks of CO₂, which could undermine climate efforts.
What Needs to Happen
To unlock the full potential of carbon capture, several things are needed:
- Policy Support: Governments can help by offering tax credits (like the U.S. 45Q credit), investing in infrastructure, and setting clear emissions limits.
- Carbon Pricing: Putting a price on carbon emissions would make carbon capture more economically attractive.
- Public-Private Partnerships: Collaborations between industries and governments can accelerate research, deployment, and investment.
- Technology Innovation: Continued research into cheaper, more efficient capture methods is crucial.
- Public Awareness and Acceptance: Building trust through transparency, safety, and education will be vital to gaining support for CCUS projects.
Conclusion
Carbon capture is not a magic solution to climate change, but it is a critical tool in a broader strategy to reduce global emissions. Its ability to tackle industrial emissions, support negative emissions technologies, and complement renewable energy makes it indispensable in our fight to stabilize the climate.
As nations strive toward net-zero goals, CCUS can act as a powerful bridge, buying time, reducing unavoidable emissions, and helping transition to a cleaner, more sustainable world. But for it to succeed, we must pair it with bold climate action, innovation, and collective global commitment.
Whether carbon capture becomes a niche technology or a mainstream climate solution will depend on the choices we make in the next few years. What’s clear is this: every ton of CO₂ we keep out of the atmosphere counts. And carbon capture helps make that possible.
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