Biodiesel production and use for transport applications

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a technology aimed at mitigating climate change by capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from industrial processes, power generation or even directly from air and storing it underground. 

Carbon capture: The first step of CCS involves capturing CO2 emissions e.g. from point sources, such as power plants, cement factories, or industrial facilities. Different methods can be used for carbon capture but these technologies capture CO2 before it is released into the atmosphere, preventing its direct emissions.

Transport: After capturing the CO2, it is transported via pipelines or other means to a suitable storage location. This may involve transporting the captured CO2 over long distances to reach appropriate storage sites.

Storage: The captured CO2 is then stored in geological formations, such as deep underground rock formations or depleted oil and gas fields. This storage process is called geologic sequestration. The CO2 is injected into the underground storage sites and trapped in the porous rock formations, preventing its release into the atmosphere.

Climate impacts: Carbon capture and storage at scale can contribute to climate change mitigation by significantly reducing CO2 emissions from industrial sources. By capturing and storing CO2, CCS helps to prevent the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, thereby reducing the overall concentration of CO2 and mitigating climate change.

Cost and energy requirements: CCS technologies can be expensive to implement and may require significant amounts of energy. The capture process itself can consume additional energy, resulting in decreased energy efficiency in the overall system.

Scale and infrastructure: Scaling up CCS to have a significant impact on global emissions requires substantial infrastructure development, including the construction of CO2 transport pipelines and suitable storage sites. This can pose logistical and economic challenges which carbon markets can help resolving.

Leakage and long-term stability: Ensuring the long-term stability of stored CO2 is crucial to prevent leaks and potential environmental impacts. Monitoring and verification are necessary to ensure the integrity of storage sites and minimize the risk of CO2 leakage over time where leakage is a risk factor.

Carbon capture and storage can play a role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change when they are at scale, particularly in sectors where emissions are challenging to eliminate through other means. 

Sectors