Why We Need CCS

Carbon capture and storage – a key solution

Global warming is a problem that requires urgent action.

It calls for a multi-faceted approach. It is a problem that can only be solved with international co-operation and commitment.

CCS is one technology available to combat global warming. The Global CCS Institute is focused on this solution.

Carbon dioxide and climate change

Since the late 1940s, the concentration of several greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, notably carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane and nitrous oxides, has increased substantially. The stability of our planet’s climate is directly linked to the Earth’s atmosphere, and variations in the level, or concentration, of any one greenhouse gas will impact our climate.

Atmospheric levels of CO₂ are now higher than at any time in the last 800,000 years, standing at 385 parts per million (ppm) in 2008, compared to a pre-industrial high of 280ppm, and this figure is rising by around 2ppm each year.

Reducing man-made CO₂ emissions is a key element in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that CO₂ emissions must be reduced by 50 to 85 per cent by 2050 compared to 2000 levels.

Such a reduction will prevent the global mean temperature from rising by more than 2.0 to 2.4°C, the threshold at which climate change becomes severe.

Significant challenges

Electricity sourced from fossil fuels accounts for more than 40 per cent of the world’s energy-related CO₂ emissions. A further 25 per cent comes from large-scale industrial processes such as iron and steel production, cement making, natural gas processing and petroleum refining.

With world energy demand projected to grow by more than 40 per cent over the next two decades, reducing CO₂ emissions is a significant challenge.

Renewable energy technology continues to develop, but fossil fuels, in particular coal, will continue to provide the bulk of the world’s energy for the foreseeable future.

However there is a way to harness fossil fuels while significantly reducing CO₂ emissions.
The answer lies in the capture and storage of carbon dioxide .

CCS is a technology that can reduce emissions from power plants and factories to almost zero.

To date, major models demonstrating the means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions have highlighted the significant role CCS can play.

In a key International Energy Agency (IEA) scenario, which sees CO₂ stabilising at 450ppm, CCS accounts for almost 20 per cent of the actions taken (see Figure 1).

Figure 1 – Contribution of emissions reduction options, 2005-2050

Figure 1 - Download original copy [PDF, 248KB]

Alternative energy sources will play a major role in years to come, but many of the technologies involved remain in their infancy. Meanwhile, approximately 100 new conventional large scale power stations are being constructed around the world each year.

CCS provides a solution for existing fossil fuel plants as well as plants that will be built around the world in the coming years. CCS cannot be disregarded if we are to stabilise CO₂ levels and minimise the impact of climate change.