CCUS can remove CO 2 from the atmosphere by combining it with bioenergy or direct air capture to balance emissions that are unavoidable or technically difficult to avoid.CCUS enables the production of low-carbon hydrogen from fossil fuels, a least-cost option in several regions around the world.CCUS can tackle emissions in sectors with limited other options, such as cement, steel and chemicals manufacturing, and in the production of synthetic fuels for long-distance transport.CCUS can be retrofitted to power and industrial plants that may otherwise still be emitting 8 billion tonnes of CO 2 in 2050 – around one-quarter of today’s annual energy-sector emissions.In its recently published report, the IEA identified four crucial ways in which CCUS can contribute to a successful clean energy transition: Energy efficiency and renewables are central pillars, but other technologies and strategies have a major role to play as well. IEA analysis consistently shows that a broad portfolio of technologies is needed to achieve deep emissions reductions, both practically and cost-effectively. The idea that CCUS is “high cost” ignores the bigger picture As we explain in this commentary, to dismiss the technology on cost grounds would be to ignore its unique strengths, its competitiveness in key sectors and its potential to enter the mainstream of low-carbon solutions.
Commentators often cite CCUS as being too expensive and unable to compete with wind and solar electricity given their spectacular fall in costs over the last decade, while climate policies – including carbon pricing – are not yet strong enough to make CCUS economically attractive. Plans for more than 30 commercial CCUS facilities have been announced in recent years, and despite the Covid‑19 crisis, in 2020 governments and industry committed more than USD 4.5 billion to CCUS.Ī number of factors can explain the slow uptake of CCUS, but high cost is one of the most frequently heard. Despite the importance of CCUS for achieving clean energy transitions, deployment has been slow to take off – there are only around 20 commercial CCUS operations worldwide. Carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) technologies are critical for putting energy systems around the world on a sustainable path.
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