CCS increase by 48 percent in 9 months

A new report issued by Global CCS Institute said that the total capacity of the carbon capture and storage (CCS) project-pipeline increased for the fourth year in a row, by almost one third over the previous year.

The report said that as of September, the COX capture capacity of all CCS facilities under development has grown from “73 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) to 111 Mtpa – a 48 per cent increase over 2020.”

"CCS is absolutely critical to achieving net zero emissions and we anticipate growth in the sector to continue as climate ambition is increasingly matched with action," said Jarad Daniels, the CEO of the think tank.

"As we accelerate toward net zero emissions by mid-century and establish clearer interim targets, CCS will be integral to the decarbonisation of energy, industrial sectors such as cement, fertilisers, and chemicals, and will open new opportunities in areas including clean hydrogen and carbon dioxide removal."

The report states that North America continues to be the global front runner in CCS deployment, with over 40 new CCS projects announced in 2021. 

"The momentum we have seen over the last year towards CCS is considerable, however more is required if we are to reach climate goals", said Guloren Turan, General Manager of Advocacy and Communication at the Global CCS Institute.

"The International Energy Agency's Sustainable Development Scenario foresees 15 percent of emissions reductions to come from CCS, requiring a one-hundred-fold increase in the capacity of operational facilities by 2050.  While the acceleration of CCS adoption is promising, more urgency in the deployment of the technology is needed to reach 2050 climate goals,” added Turan.

The report is released ahead of COP 26, where government leaders and observer organisations will gather to assess progress on climate commitments.