Carbon Capture,
Utilization & Storage
Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) is the process of capturing carbon dioxide (CO₂), a greenhouse gas that holds heat in the atmosphere, and injecting it deep underground for safe, secure and permanent storage.
CCUS can be implemented within an industrial facility to capture significant sources of CO₂ emissions before they reach the atmosphere, or it can be implemented to capture CO₂ directly from the atmosphere.
The Gulf Coast’s energy and manufacturing industries, which employ hundreds of thousands of residents, are a traditionally high-CO₂-emitting sector. As global demand for lower-carbon products and energy increases, technologies like CCUS are enabling Gulf Coast industries to keep their products competitive.
CCUS involves three steps: Capture, transport and storage.
WHAT IS CCUS?
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First, CO₂ is separated from other gases released at large industrial facilities, such as steel and petrochemical facilities or power plants, or directly from the atmosphere.
The process of capturing CO₂ has been implemented for decades. -
Once captured, the CO₂ is compressed into a liquid for transportation. Typically CO₂ is transported by pipeline, which is the safest way to transport liquid energy. Specifically, according to the Liquid Energy Pipeline Association, CO₂ pipelines have the best track record of all types of energy pipelines. Pipeline transport also helps ensure the CO₂ does not enter the atmosphere.
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When it reaches the storage site, the CO₂ is then injected into deep underground rock formations at least 4,000 feet underground and as far as 10,000 feet, well below any sources of drinking water, which are usually less than 1,000 feet below the surface. These rock formations are similar to what has held oil, natural gas and naturally occurring CO₂ underground for millions of years.
The CO₂ is safely and permanently stored and over time, will either mineralize with the surrounding rock or dissolve. According to the Global CCS Institute, close to 300 million tons of CO₂ has already been safely and successfully injected underground around the world.
ROLE IN ENERGY DIVERSIFICATION
CCUS is being used to decarbonize industries like cement, steel and fertilizer production, power generation, and natural gas processing. These sectors are critical to daily life and when paired with CCUS technology can be made carbon neutral without disrupting existing infrastructure.
CCUS is a safe, proven technology that reduces emissions in hard-to-decarbonize sectors of the economy, such as heavy industrial and manufacturing, and enables them to continue to grow and create jobs while substantially reducing environmental impacts.
CCUS: A proven technology
CCUS technology has been used for 50 years, since before the invention of the first personal computer. CO₂ stored deep underground is held in place by the same rock formations that have held naturally-occurring CO₂ in place for millions of years.
Stored CO₂ is continuously monitored to ensure it stays safely and securely underground. According to the Global CCS Institute, close to 300 million tons of CO₂ have been successfully injected underground around the world.
“Companies from around the world that purchase products made in Louisiana are increasingly requesting an honest accounting of greenhouse gas emissions with the intention to prioritize lower carbon-intensity products in the future.”
“CCS is one of the best technologies available to meet both sustainability goals and long-term production demand.”