Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage

CCUS stands for Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage. It captures carbon dioxide from industrial gases before the gas reaches the atmosphere. The approach matters because some industrial processes need very high temperatures or carbon-based inputs, making complete electrification difficult. CCUS can therefore complement renewable energy.

After capture, the carbon dioxide is purified, dried and compressed into a dense form. It can travel by pipeline, ship or another transport mode. At its destination, it may be used in enhanced oil recovery, food and beverages, urea, green methanol or concrete.

Carbon dioxide that is not utilised can be stored permanently underground. Suitable formations include depleted oil and gas reservoirs, deep saline aquifers and basaltic rock formations. The article presents CCUS as a pathway for reducing industrial emissions while supporting India’s Net Zero by 2070 journey and continued industrial production.

India identifies steel, cement, refineries, chemicals and fertilisers as hard-to-abate sectors. These industries produce essential materials, but their emissions are difficult to eliminate. Their challenge is not simply the electricity used by factories. Some emissions come directly from industrial reactions or from fuels and materials needed within the process.

For example, cement production can release carbon dioxide through the industrial process itself, while steelmaking and chemical production may require high temperatures or carbon-based inputs. Renewable electricity can replace some fossil-fuel electricity, but it cannot easily address every source of these emissions. CCUS captures carbon dioxide at the facility before release.

The article also includes thermal power generation in the wider emissions challenge. It says emissions from hard-to-abate sectors and thermal power could reach nearly 2,300 million tonnes annually by 2030. CCUS is presented as a way to reduce emissions from existing facilities while industries continue producing essential goods.

The article estimates that emissions from India’s hard-to-abate sectors and thermal power generation could reach nearly 2,300 million tonnes per annum by 2030. The sectors named include steel, cement, refineries, chemicals and fertilisers. Together, they represent a major industrial emissions challenge for India’s low-carbon transition.

The figure matters because these emissions are not all easily removed by switching to renewable electricity. Some arise directly from industrial processes. Others involve operations requiring very high temperatures or carbon-based inputs. CCUS offers a way to manage carbon dioxide at the source, including at facilities that continue operating.

This projected scale strengthens the case for several complementary measures. Renewable energy can lower emissions where electrification works. CCUS can address harder sources and support existing infrastructure. The article connects these efforts with India’s goal of reaching Net Zero by 2070 while maintaining industrial growth and economic development.

CCUS begins at an industrial facility, where capture systems separate carbon dioxide from gases released by fuel combustion or industrial processes. The gas is then purified, dried and compressed into a dense form. This preparation makes it suitable for transport or direct use.

Pipelines are commonly used over suitable distances. Ships and other transport modes add flexibility, especially when destinations are farther away. The best option depends on distance, volume, available infrastructure and the final destination. These choices connect industrial sources with carbon-use facilities or storage locations.

At the endpoint, the carbon dioxide follows one of two paths. It can go to a utilisation facility for products or processes such as concrete, urea or green methanol. Alternatively, it can be injected deep underground into depleted oil and gas reservoirs, deep saline aquifers or basaltic rock formations for permanent storage.

When captured carbon dioxide is used or stored, it is prevented from being released directly into the atmosphere from the industrial source. This helps India address emissions that renewable electricity cannot easily eliminate. CCUS therefore complements renewable energy rather than replacing it.

Utilisation can turn captured carbon dioxide into products or inputs. The article lists enhanced oil recovery, food and beverages, urea, green methanol and concrete. Storage takes a different route: carbon dioxide is injected deep underground into suitable geological formations, including depleted reservoirs, saline aquifers and basaltic rock formations.

The wider consequence is a possible balance between industrial production and deeper emissions cuts. CCUS can reduce emissions from existing facilities and support sectors such as steel, cement, chemicals and fertilisers. It can also encourage new technologies, infrastructure and industrial capabilities, helping India pursue Net Zero by 2070 alongside economic development.

Alternatives to CCUS include renewable electricity, greater energy efficiency, electrification, low-carbon hydrogen and cleaner industrial production methods. Renewable power can replace fossil electricity, while efficiency reduces the energy required. Hydrogen may also help industries replace some fossil fuels, and the article links CCUS with blue hydrogen from coal gasification.

These options work best where equipment can use electricity or hydrogen directly. Electrification can reduce emissions from many energy uses. However, the article notes that some industrial processes require very high temperatures or carbon-based inputs. Emissions can also come directly from industrial reactions, not only from fuel use.

That creates a practical limit. Renewable electricity alone cannot easily eliminate every emission from steel, cement, chemicals, fertilisers or refineries. Thermal power also remains part of the challenge. CCUS is presented as a complementary tool for capturing emissions at existing facilities while other low-carbon solutions expand.

Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring gas made of carbon and oxygen. It is released by processes such as fuel combustion and some industrial activities. In the atmosphere, it absorbs and re-emits part of the heat Earth gives off. This natural greenhouse effect helps keep the planet warm.

The problem is excess carbon dioxide. Human activities can add more of the gas than natural systems remove over a given period. Higher atmospheric concentrations strengthen the greenhouse effect, so more heat remains in the climate system. That drives global warming and contributes to broader climate change.

The article focuses on capturing carbon dioxide from industrial sources before release. It identifies steel, cement, chemicals, fertilisers, refineries and thermal power as important emissions sources. CCUS is therefore presented as one tool alongside renewable energy for reducing emissions on India’s path towards Net Zero by 2070. The atmospheric explanation is established climate science, not detailed in the article.