Decarbonisation Technology August 2025 Issue

delivery teams are vital. It takes more than technical know-how – it takes applied engineering judgement, proven systems integration capability, and the ability to make the technology perform as promised. In short: turning the brochure into a blueprint, and the blueprint into operating infrastructure. CCUS + e-fuels: why this integration matters Carbon value chains are converging, which means integration is no longer optional; it is essential. Utilising captured carbon allows us to build fully circular pathways that are technically viable, commercially compelling, and policy aligned. On one side sits the imperative to reduce emissions. CCUS infrastructure enables thisby capturing and conditioning CO 2 at source. On the other side lies the opportunity to convert that carbon into valuable products – energy- dense e-fuels that decarbonise sectors where electrification is not feasible, such as aviation, shipping, chemicals, and heavy industry. The strategic value of integration lies not only in the molecules produced but also in risk reduction, resource efficiency, and system performance. • Unlocking circularity : Integration allows the carbon in CO 2 to function as a feedstock, not a waste stream, enabling closed-loop fuel cycles and turning point-source emissions into platform molecules. • Driving value creation : E-fuels produced through integrated CCUS systems align directly with emerging market incentives, such as the EU’s SAF mandates, ReFuelEU Aviation, and low-carbon fuel standards, ensuring both compliance and commercial pull. • Infrastructure efficiency and system optimisation to maximise returns : Shared utilities, integrated compression, and co-located synthesis can materially reduce both capital and operational costs. Integrated heat and mass balance strategies unlock performance efficiencies that isolated systems cannot. However, perhaps most importantly, integration improves bankability. Managing risk, not technology immaturity, is often what holds back investable low-carbon projects. Utilising capture for chemical synthesis requires coordinated engineering, commissioning, and

e-SAF

e-methane

e-methanol

e-fuels

– and we need more of them for innovative and emerging technologies. Pilot and demonstration projects are serving as critical enablers of bankability, offering investors, policymakers, and off-takers a tangible basis to assess performance, integration risk, and commercial readiness for financial viability. End-to-end demonstration projects are so critical. These are not just technical pilots – they are proof points that de-risk the entire project chain. Demos offer a real-world proving ground for how different systems and subsystems – each with their own “ Demos offer a real-world proving ground for how different systems and subsystems – each with their own TRLs, supply chains, and vendor ecosystems – interact under dynamic conditions ” TRLs, supply chains, and vendor ecosystems – interact under dynamic conditions. In short, people need to see it, feel it, and operate it before they can fully buy in. Technology development is not just about advancing TRLs – it is about instilling confidence in delivery, at pace and scale. We simply cannot afford more high-profile failures. When delivery execution falters, the impact is disproportionate – not just for a single project, but for the confidence of the entire market. It sets back policy momentum, market confidence, and capital appetite. That is why experienced, multidisciplinary Figure 3 E-fuels are a viable decarbonisation pathways for hard-to-abate sectors Credit: Dreamstime.com