What is Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)? (carbon capture and storage)

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) refers to technologies aimed at reducing CO2 emissions by capturing and storing them below the earth's surface. Fossil fuel companies and some governments are trying to convince the public that CCS makes it possible to fight climate change without restricting oil and gas production. The reason is that a much more effective way of reducing emissions would be to limit the extraction of fossil fuels, which is not in the interest of these companies.

So where is the problem? There is not yet conclusive evidence that CCS is effective in reducing emissions on a large scale. Despite this, governments continue to invest in this technology, often with public funding. However, we do have clean energy solutions available, such as increasingly cheaper renewable energy.

For fossil fuel companies, CCS is like a "safety net" that allows them to continue mining while ignoring greener options.

Here are the main problems associated with CCS:

1) Even after 40 years, there is insufficient evidence of its effectiveness. Despite investments of over $83 billion over 30 years, CCS captured only 0.1 % of global CO2 emissions in 2022. Moreover, more than 80 % planned projects failed.

2) Most CCS projects are unsuccessful. Often, the predicted capture rate of 90 % is greatly overestimated, as several practical examples show.

3) CCS supports oil production rather than reducing emissions. Captured CO2 is often used to increase oil recovery, which was the case for 81 % of carbon thus processed by 2020.

4) Considerable resources are often invested in CCS without results. These resources could be better used for the development of low-carbon technologies or public services.

5) The energy demands of CCS are so great that they can lead to more pollution than they remove.

6) The plans of some governments and corporations depend on CCS, despite the unclear scientific basis and the risk of economic and ecological negative impacts.

7) Even if CCS were to work ideally, its development is too slow to help meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Overall, unreliable CCS promises can hinder effective solutions to climate problems. Carbon capture can be useful for solving specific industrial challenges, such as cement production, but it cannot be a substitute for robust measures to reduce fossil fuel consumption and shift to renewable energy sources. (Co2AI)