Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage

NITI Aayog has released a study report titled ‘Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) Policy Framework and its Deployment Mechanism in India’. The report explores the importance of carbon capture, utilization and storage as an emissions reduction strategy.

Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS)

• CCUS captures CO2 from emission sources through the use of technologies. Emission sources include power generation or industrial centers that use fossil fuels or biomass for fuel.
• CO2 can also be captured directly from the atmosphere. If the CO2 captured at the source point is not being used, it is compressed and transported by pipeline, ship, rail or truck, where it is used to manufacture a number of products.
• When not in use, it is injected into deep geological formations (including depleted oil and gas wells or saline formations) that act as permanent storage for the captured CO2.

Highlights of the Report

• CCUS can provide a wide variety of opportunities to convert the captured CO2 to different value-added products like green urea, food and beverage form application, building materials, chemicals (methanol and ethanol), polymers (including bio-plastics) and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) with wide market opportunities in India, thus contributing substantially to a circular economy.
• CCUS projects will also lead to a significant employment generation. It estimates that about 750 mtpa of carbon capture by 2050 can create employment opportunities of about 8-10 million on full time equivalent (FTE) basis in a phased manner.

Suggestions

• Broad level policy interventions needed across various sectors for its application.
• As, India has updated its NDC targets for achieving 50% of its total installed capacity from non-fossil-based energy sources, 45% reduction in emission intensity by 2030 and taking steps towards achieving Net Zero by 2070, the role of CCUS becomes important as reduction strategy to achieve decarbonization from the hard-to abate sectors.
• India’s dependency on fossil-based Energy Resources is likely to continue in future, hence CCUS policy in Indian Context is needed.

Applications of CCUS

• Mitigating Climate Change: Despite the adoption of alternative energy sources and energy efficient systems to reduce the rate of CO2 emissions, the cumulative amount of CO2 in the atmosphere needs to be reduced to limit the detrimental impacts of climate change.
• Agriculture: Capturing CO2 from biogenic sources such as plants and soil to boost crop growth in a greenhouse could work.
• Industrial Use: Combining CO2 with steel slag – an industrial byproduct of the steel manufacturing process — to make construction materials compatible with the Paris Agreement goals.
• Enhanced Oil Recovery: CCU is already making inroads into India. For instance, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation signed a MoU with Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) by injecting CO2.