How does CCS work?

Capture

The CCS process starts by capturing the CO₂ generated by power stations and large industrial processes (like cement factories, steel works and oil refineries). CO₂ can be captured before, during or after burning fossil fuels in processes already widely used to provide CO₂ for a variety of industries including the food and beverage industry where it puts the fizz in carbonated beverages. In general, capture technology can cost-effectively slash the CO₂ emissions from a power plant or industrial process by up to 95%. more...

Transport

After the CO₂ gas is captured, it is then transported to a suitable storage location. This can be achieved by leveraging extensive fluid transport (mostly via pipelines) know-how and skills from the oil and gas industries. Compared to many gases and chemicals which are moved from location to location, CO₂ is largely inert, non-toxic and easily handled. more...

Storage, Monitoring and Verification (SMV)

The final - and critical - stage in the CCS process sees the CO₂ injected at high pressure deep underground for storage in the microscopic pores of suitable rock formations, where it can be kept securely away from the atmosphere. Several projects, including those of CCP participants, are now accomplishing this successfully at production scale. The scope for storage is considerable - global storage capacity is estimated at upwards of 10,000 gigatonnes, compared to global annual CO₂ emissions volumes of around 30 gigatonnes - meaning that hundreds of years’ worth of emissions could be stored in this manner. more...