Decarbonisation Technology - May 2024 Issue

landfills, or plants where underground records are incomplete or inaccurate and where space is highly contained, can pose serious challenges to implementing major new projects such as decarbonisation technologies. Water scarcity and existing water abstraction permits are common across many geographies. Climate- aggravated water stress on local environments makes sourcing additional water needed to support decarbonisation solutions such as carbon capture unlikely. Access to capital can be difficult in hard-to- abate industries because many operate on thin margins, making large investments in new technology potentially very challenging. Many, such as steel and chemicals, are also typically trade-exposed, so there are concerns that if some countries take punitive financial action to reduce emissions but others do not, it may affect the competitiveness of heavy industry in the countries that do take action. Understanding carbon capture’s potential With all of these potential barriers to consider, how can we generate sustainable carbon reduction schemes that will be both cost- effective and efficient for heavy industry? Carbon capture is an important technological option for reducing CO₂ emissions and has been coined by many as essential in achieving a low- carbon future. Governments across the globe have

2024). However, before considering how carbon capture can be employed in the decarbonisation of heavy industry, it is important to clarify the various forms of this technology. The most used carbon capture technology, which features in many existing projects today, is pre-combustion CO₂ capture. This technology captures the CO₂ from streams containing “ The Global CCS Institute reports that 27 nations have now included the technology as a vital part of their carbon reduction strategies, and in the US alone, 73 new facilities were added to the pipeline in 2023 ” high proportions of CO₂ and/or streams at high pressure, often fuel streams, but before any combustion occurs. The technology is already used to ensure natural gas streams meet grid specifications and can be used in the process of making low-carbon hydrogen. This hydrogen can then be used to replace carbon-containing fuel gas streams to decarbonise a site without requiring major changes to the existing site. This makes the technique enticing for many operators within heavy industry. However, this is not always possible, particularly for those processes where CO₂ is inherent to the existing plant’s chemistry. The main alternative technology is post-

included CCS in their decarbonisation goals, with the UK aiming to capture and store between 20-30 million tonnes of CO₂ a year by 2030, the equivalent of taking 10-15 million cars off the road. The Global CCS Institute reports that 27 nations have now included the technology as a vital part of their carbon reduction strategies, and in the US alone, 73 new facilities were added to the pipeline in 2023 (Global CCS Institute,

The metal smelting process in steel mills is accountable for 1% of the world’s total CO2 emissions