Carbon Capture, Use, and Storage (CCUS)
Carbon Capture, Use, and Storage (CCUS)
Technology, one of the main ways to curb climate change
Technology, one of the main ways to curb climate change
We are convinced that it is the driving force behind the energy transition, which aims to meet energy demand without increasing CO2 emissions.
In order to become carbon neutral, it will not be enough to stop emitting CO2, but we will need technology to capture and reuse it, that helps us to be more efficient, find new ways of generating and consuming energy, and create new products from waste.
Carbon capture, use, and storage (CCUS) is the set of technological processes aimed at reducing CO2 from the atmosphere by safely capturing and storing it for future use. In addition to offering another solution to the gas reduction policy, it brings about the possibility to use it in hydrocarbon recovery processes and other future uses currently under development.
CCUS technology plays an important role in achieving the goal of limiting the global average temperature increase to 2°C by end of century. This technology is able to substantially reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the most carbon-intensive fuels, and in industrial sectors such as steel, cement, etc., where there is currently no alternative for decarbonization.
Technological initiatives for promoting CCUS
Oil and gas will continue to play an important role in the energy transition and CCUS will make it possible to reduce CO2 emissions in the electricity sector or other energy-intensive industries. We help develop these technologies as a member of the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative through the investments made by OGCI Climate Investments fund.
TarraCO2-Storage project aims at storing 54 Mt (million tonnes) of CO2 emissions from hard-to-abate industry in NE Spain. This represents an unparalleled opportunity for a first-of-a-kind industrial decarbonization project in Southern Europe, through a safe, efficient and scalable method for permanent CO2 storage. At a planned rate of 2 Mtpa (million tonnes per annum), TarraCO2-storage capacity could help reduce hard-to-abate emissions in the region by 30%. Recognized by the European Union, CCUS is both an enabler for industrial decarbonization and a technology that complements European efforts to further reduce CO2 emissions and go carbon negative. TarraCO2-Storage project has the potential of being the catalyst of a CO2-Hub, with different CO2 origins and with shared infrastructure, potentially enabling the production of zero-emissions synthetic fuels and carbon removals.
This project has received funding from the Innovation Fund -2023-NZT program of the European Union under grant agreement no. 101191313. The views and opinions expressed are the sole responsibility of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). Neither the European Union nor CINEA can be held responsible for them.
Update June 2025