Explore CCUS

Menu

Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) is a unique low-carbon solution which significantly reduces CO2 emissions from across the economy

A CCUS cluster

Multiple industries sharing CO2 transport and storage infrastructure, enabling these industries to achieve net zero emissions

CCSA Diagram
Greenhouse
Gas Removal

CCUS underpins the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere through bioenergy with CCS (BECCS) and Direct Air Capture and Storage (DACS)
Industry

CCUS enables the production of clean industrial products such as clean steel and cement
Power

CCUS provides a source of flexible, low-carbon power generation
Hydrogen

CCUS represents one of the main routes for clean hydrogen production - a key solution for low-carbon heating in homes and industry, as well as clean transport
CO2 Utilisation

Captured CO2 can also be used to make products, such as synthetic fuels and low-carbon building materials, or in the food and beverage industry
Permanent CO2 storage 1-2km below the seabed

CCUS underpins the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere through bioenergy with CCS (BECCS) and Direct Air Capture and Storage (DACS)

CCUS enables the production of clean industrial products such as clean steel and cement

CCUS provides a source of flexible, low-carbon power generation

CCUS represents one of the main routes for clean hydrogen production - a key solution for low-carbon heating in homes and industry, as well as clean transport

Captured CO2 can also be used to make products, such as synthetic fuels and low-carbon building materials, or in the food and beverage industry

Capturing CO2

Carbon capture technologies remove CO2 emissions from power generation and industries such as iron & steel, fertilizer, cement, chemicals, and refining, as well as enabling at scale low-carbon hydrogen production.

BOC Teesside Hydrogen plant (part of the Net Zero Teesside CCUS proposal), UK. Credit: Image courtesy of Linde

Carbon capture can also be used to remove CO2 from the atmosphere either through sustainable bioenergy with CCS (BECCS) or with Direct Air Capture and Storage (DACS). Removing CO2 from the atmosphere with CCS is one of the main options for greenhouse gas removal, which will be critical to achieve net zero.

Wood pellet storage domes at Drax Power Station (BECCS pilot project), UK. Credit: Drax

Quest CCS Facility, Canada

The Quest CCS project captures one million tonnes of CO2 per year from the production of low-carbon hydrogen at the Quest facility in Alberta, Canada. The CO2 is then injected and stored over 2km underground.

shell.ca
Quest CCS facility, Canada. Credit: Photographic Services, Shell International Limited.
CO2 pipeline (BECCS pilot project), UK. Credit: C-Capture

CO2 Infrastructure

The CO2 is then transported via pipelines or ship to a geological storage site or utilisation facility. The development of CCUS clusters - multiple industries sharing CO2 transport and storage infrastructure - is critical to achieving net zero emissions in industrial regions.

Caption here

Northern Lights Project, Norway

The Northern Lights project is a full-scale CCS proposal which aims to capture CO2 from industrial facilities around Europe and use shipping to transport the CO2 to a storage terminal in Norway, where the CO2 is then injected to a storage site 3km below the seabed.

northernlightsccs.eu
Vicat CO2 Utilisation project, France. Credit: Carbon8

Using CO2

Captured CO2 can also be used for a variety of industrial purposes, such as the production of synthetic fuel and low-carbon building materials, or in the food and drinks industry. However, CO2 utilisation will only be able to address a small proportion of the CO2 required to reach climate targets.

CO2ntainers at Vicat, France. Credit: Carbon8

Carbon8, France

The Carbon8 CO2ntainer system at Vicat Group’s cement plant in Montalieu, France, uses captured CO2 from the cement plant waste gases combined with waste cement dust to create building aggregates.

c8s.co.uk

Carbon capture technologies can capture >95% of emitted CO2

The USA hosts the largest CO2 pipeline network in the world, with over 8,000km of dedicated CO2 pipelines

The UK offshore has the potential to permanently store more than 200 years of the UK's current CO2 emissions

CO2 can be used for a variety of products, including locking CO2 up in building materials and cements

Bioenergy with CCS (BECCS) and Direct Air Capture (DAC) can permanently remove CO2 from the atmosphere

Visualisation of CO2 storage in sub-surface, Sleipner, Norway. Credit: Equinor

CO2 Storage

CO2 is injected into the sub-surface deep below the seabed, where it is permanently stored.

Sleipner CO2 storage injection platform, Norway. Credit: Equinor

Sleipner CCS, Norway

The Sleipner CCS facility in Norway is one of the worlds longest-running large-scale CCS projects. The facility has been operational since 1996, capturing and storing approximately 1 million tonnes of CO2 per year in geological storage deep under the North Sea.

equinor.com

Related Content

CCUS in Action

CCUS projects have been successfully operating for many years and new projects are in development around the world. Find out more here.

The Value of CCUS

CCUS is an essential solution for delivering Net Zero emissions across industry, heat and power - as well as removing CO2 from the atmosphere.