It is technologically possible to achieve higher capture rates, and research is ongoing to reduce the costs of doing so. Pre-combustion methods require larger modifications to the operation of the facility and are therefore more suitable to new plants.Ĭurrently operational facilities fitted with CCUS can capture around 90% of the CO 2 present in flue gas. Post-combustion and oxy-fuel equipment can be fitted to new plants or retrofitted to existing facilities that were originally built without it. Finally, oxy-fuel technology involves burning a fuel with almost pure oxygen to produce CO 2 and steam, with the released CO 2 subsequently captured. Pre-combustion methods involve converting the fuel into a gas mixture consisting of hydrogen and CO 2 before it is burnt. Once the CO 2 is separated, the remaining hydrogen-rich mixture can be used as fuel. Post-combustion technology separates CO 2 from the flue gas, by using a chemical solvent for instance, after the fuel is burnt. The main methods for capturing CO 2 are: post-combustion pre-combustion and oxy-fuel combustion. How does CCUS work?Ī CCUS application consists of three stages: capture, transport and storage (or usage) of CO 2. Leading organisations including the International Energy Agency (IEA), International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) have all produced long-term energy outlooks that rely on a rapid expansion of CCUS in order to limit global temperature rise to 1.5☌.

What is carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS)?ĬCUS refers to a suite of technologies that enable the mitigation of carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions from large point sources such as power plants, refineries and other industrial facilities, or the removal of existing CO 2 from the atmosphere.ĬCUS is expected to play a crucial role in meeting global climate targets.

Carbon dioxide definition