Q.7. What is Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS)? What is the potential role of CCUS in tackling climate change? (10 Marks, 150 Words)
| Approach |
| Begin by defining Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) and its importance as identified by IPCC for limiting warming to 1.5°C. In the body, explain its processes – capture, transport, utilization, and storage. Then discuss the potential role of CCUS in climate action: reducing industrial emissions, complementing renewables (Blue Hydrogen), enabling negative emissions (BECCS), enhancing energy security, and India’s storage potential with examples. Conclude with a note on challenges (high cost, leakage risks, policy gaps) and emphasize its role in India’s Net Zero 2070 strategy, provided it complements renewables and is backed by global financing and robust frameworks. |
Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) refers to a set of technologies designed to capture carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from large point sources and either reuse them in industrial processes or store them permanently in geological formations. The IPCC (2022) highlights CCUS as an essential mitigation pathway for limiting global warming to 1.5°C, especially for hard-to-abate sectors.
Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS)
- Capture: CO2 is captured from large point sources, such as coal-fired power plants or industrial facilities, or from the atmosphere.
- Transport: Once captured, the CO2 is compressed and transported by ship, rail, truck, or pipeline to where it will be utilized or stored.
- Utilization: The CO2 can be used to create valuable products, such as cementitious materials, chemicals, or even fuels.
- Storage: Alternatively, it can be injected deep underground into geological formations, such as depleted oil and gas reservoirs, coal seams, or saline aquifers, for long-term storage.
Potential role of CCUS in tackling climate change
- Mitigation of Industrial Emissions: Reduces emissions from hard-to-abate sectors like steel, cement, and fertilizers where renewable substitution is limited.
- E.g., Norway’s Sleipner Project captures about one million tonnes of CO₂ annually from its offshore natural gas production and injects it into deep saline aquifers in North Sea.
- Complement to Renewable Energy: Complements renewables by tackling existing emissions and enabling low-carbon hydrogen production through Blue Hydrogen.
- Eg: Shell’s Quest Project in Canada captures over 1 Mt CO₂ annually from hydrogen production.
- Pathway to Negative Emissions: When paired with bioenergy (BECCS), CCUS can deliver net negative emissions, vital for offsetting aviation and shipping.
- Eg: The Drax power station in the UK is piloting BECCS for large-scale carbon removal.
- Enhancing Energy Security: CO₂ utilisation in Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) boosts fossil recovery while reducing emissions and improving supply security.
- Eg: The US Permian Basin EOR projects inject millions of tonnes of captured CO₂ to extract additional oil.
- India’s Potential: India’s sedimentary basins offer 400–600 Gt CO₂ storage potential, making CCUS critical for Net Zero 2070.
- Captured CO₂ can be converted into value-added products like green urea, methanol, building materials, polymers, and even used in enhanced oil recovery, creating profitable abatement opportunities.
- Such utilisation supports India’s circular economy, reduces imports (e.g., fertilisers, fuels), and contributes to large-scale decarbonization.
- E.g.: NTPC and IOCL are piloting CCUS projects for thermal power plants and refineries.
| Challenges/Limitations |
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CCUS, as highlighted by NITI Aayog, is a vital tool for decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors and supporting India’s Net Zero 2070 target. Its success, however, depends on global financing, technology transfer, and policies that ensure it complements rather than delays the renewable energy transition.
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