5 Examples of the Best Carbon Capture Technology

As concern about climate change has risen up the public agenda, discussion about possible solutions to climate change, such as carbon capture technology, has also increased. In 2018, the global Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said that “the potential of CO2 capture and storage is considerable”. But it also added that its success depends on “financial incentives provided for deployment and whether the risks of storage can be successfully managed”.¹

Broadly, there are three ways to capture and either utilise or store carbon dioxide: biological, geological and technological. Each of these three methods come with advantages and drawbacks. Furthermore, each has a cost associated with it.²‌

Biological methods of carbon capture include growing trees and improving soil management. Geological carbon sequestration is the process of storing carbon dioxide in underground geologic formations or rocks. Technological solutions focus on capturing CO2 from its source – a power station or cement plant – or directly from the air. Companies then either utilise or store it.³

This article focuses on potential technological solutions to carbon capture.

What is the most expensive CCUS technology?

The cost of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technology can vary from USD $15 – $120 per tonne of CO2. It varies depending on where it is used, the methods employed, and whether it is newer technology. It is cheaper to capture carbon in a factory that emits gases with high concentrations of carbon dioxide, such as ethanol production or natural gas processing. But in industries with lower concentrations of CO2 in overall emissions, such as cement production and power generation, it is more expensive. But the most expensive CCUS technology by far is direct air capture (DAC).⁴

DAC technology focuses on sucking in the air directly from the atmosphere and separating the carbon dioxide for storage or use. It costs anything from USD $134 to $342 to remove a tonne of CO2 from the air, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).⁵ Others say that the cost has dropped significantly in recent years. But it still remains higher than most CCUS technologies.⁶

Examples of effective CCUS technology

It is hard to effectively compare types of CCUS technology since the cost of carbon capture differs depending on its use. But some comparisons have been made based on cost, scalability, and impact on the environment.

1. Planting trees is among the cheapest ways to capture and store carbon from the air, scientists say.⁷
2. Improving soil management is also a cheap and powerful way to capture atmospheric carbon.
3. Even if we use technological methods to capture carbon, it is unclear what to do with it. It has limited uses. Geological carbon storage would be a “safe and effective” way to store billions of tonnes underground, some scientists indicated in a recent study.⁸ That is another example of an effective CCUS technology.
4. Marshy wetlands are also an excellent way of capturing and storing carbon dioxide. One tonne of carbon could be captured and stored for as cheaply as USD $20, according to one study by the National Academies.⁹
5. Lastly, the UK is also experimenting with bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS). Energy companies grow and then burn trees for fuel, capturing CO2 emissions in this process. That would also reduce net carbon emissions. But critics say it requires too much land and trees to make an impact on the power supply.¹⁰

1. CARBON DIOXIDE CAPTURE AND STORAGE Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change CARBON DIOXIDE CAPTURE AND STORAGE. (2018). [online] . Available at: https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/03/srccs_wholereport-1.pdf.
2. Science and Climate. (2017). Carbon Sequestration – Science and Climate. [online] Available at: https://climatechange.ucdavis.edu/science/carbon-sequestration/.
3. Science and Climate. (n.d.). Geological Carbon Sequestration. [online] Available at: https://climatechange.ucdavis.edu/science/carbon-sequestration/geological/.
4. IEA. (2021). Is carbon capture too expensive? – Analysis. [online] Available at: https://www.iea.org/commentaries/is-carbon-capture-too-expensive.
5. IEA. (2021). Is carbon capture too expensive? – Analysis. [online] Available at: https://www.iea.org/commentaries/is-carbon-capture-too-expensive.
6. Roberts, D. (2018). “Direct air capture” of carbon dioxide won’t solve climate change. [online] Vox. Available at: https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2018/6/14/17445622/direct-air-capture-air-to-fuels-carbon-dioxide-engineering.
7. Climate change: Five cheap ways to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. (2018). BBC News. [online] 24 Oct. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-45967215.
8. Carbon Brief. (2018). World can “safely” store billions of tonnes of CO2 underground. [online] Available at: https://www.carbonbrief.org/world-can-safely-store-billions-tonnes-co2-underground.
9. Climate change: Five cheap ways to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. (2018). BBC News. [online] 24 Oct. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-45967215.
10. Climate change: Five cheap ways to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. (2018). BBC News. [online] 24 Oct. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-45967215.