Held on 8 April 2025 at the Embassy of Canada in Washington, D.C., the Americas Forum on Carbon Capture and Storage gathered leaders from government, industry, academia, and civil society for a focussed day of dialogue on advancing CCS deployment across the region. For over a decade, the Forum has served as the premier policy event for CCS in the Americas, providing a platform to explore the policies, technologies, and partnerships critical to scaling this vital technology in support of global climate goals. Organised in collaboration with the Embassy of Canada – a recognised global leader in CCS – this year’s Forum featured expert panels and presentations on business models and financing, technology innovation, and regional policy progress.
Global CCS Momentum: Setting the Stage
Global CCS Institute CEO Jarad Daniels (pictured) opened the event with an expansive overview of global CCS progress. Highlighting 65 operational projects and 42 under construction, he pointed to key international initiatives, such as Langskip (Norway), Porthos (Netherlands), the Jubail Hub (Saudi Arabia), Shepherd CCS (South Korea-Malaysia), and the Louisiana CDR Hub (US), as exemplars of accelerating momentum. Daniels outlined how governments and companies are progressing from ambition to tangible action, with notable milestones including the issuance of US Class VI permits in Texas for Oxy Low Carbon Ventures LLC and Final Investment Decisions (FIDs) for the Northern Lights Expansion and Stockholm Exergi.
The session concluded with a focus on international collaboration, with Daniels highlighting the Institute’s role as Secretariat to the Carbon Management Challenge and its ongoing work with governments, states, and industry to foster the public-private partnerships needed to scale CCS.
Powering the Future: Data Centre Decarbonisation
A panel on data centre decarbonisation explored the sector’s growing energy demands. Bloom Energy’s 2025 Data Center Power report predicts that 55 GW of new data centre capacity will be added in the next five years, expanding on the current 25 GW. Data centre leaders are taking a more active role in addressing their energy needs, with approximately 30% of sites expected to rely on onsite power as their primary energy source by 2030. Panellists discussed CCS as part of the solution mix, emphasising the need for proximity to infrastructure and grid stability, while also underlining the importance of policy certainty. The conversation focused on enabling new low-carbon baseload generation to meet data centre demands, and addressed challenges in permitting, interconnection, and transitioning from ageing power assets.
Innovative Business Models: Accelerating CCS in Canada
A session dedicated to CCS business models in Canada spotlighted the Canada Growth Fund (CGF), a CA$15 billion independent public fund designed to absorb upfront project risks and attract private investment. The CGF provides capacity to absorb upfront risks and investments for technology development and deployment. The fund is supporting early projects such as Svante Technologies and the City of Edmonton’s waste-to-energy facility in partnership with Varme Energy and Gibson Energy. Panellists discussed how the CGF is scaling competitive CCS projects by facilitating long-term carbon credit offtake agreements. The Canadian pulp and paper sector was also brought into focus, as it explores carbon credit revenue streams as part of its decarbonisation strategy.
State-Level Leadership: Updates from Across the US
A panel of state geologists and regulatory leaders from Alabama, California, Colorado, West Virginia, and Wyoming provided a detailed look at CCS progress at the state level. Legislative momentum in key states is driving CCS initiatives, particularly in areas like pore space ownership, liability transfer, and long-term stewardship. Several states are actively pursuing Class VI primacy, with Alabama and Colorado in the pre-application phase, and Wyoming (approved in 2020) and West Virginia (effective March 2025) having secured it. These developments are streamlining permitting and accelerating project timelines across the US.
Enabling Global CCS Deployment Through Policy
In a panel focused on enabling policies, representatives from the US, Canada, and Brazil shared insights into their respective approaches to supporting CCS. While progress varies by country, the panel expressed cautious optimism amidst ongoing market and regulatory uncertainty.
The importance of policy instruments such as the 45Q tax credit (US) was discussed, especially in sectors like ethanol, ammonia, and natural gas processing. Despite inflation eroding its real value, the panel noted that the 45Q credit remains critical for driving CCS deployment. The conversation also touched on the evolving voluntary carbon market, the rise of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies, and the potential of Article 6 mechanisms to support cross-border carbon trade and strengthen project economics.
Closing Reflections: Collaboration for Scale
Justin Riemer, CEO of Emissions Reduction Alberta, closed the Forum by stressing the need for continued innovation and collaboration across borders. He underscored the importance of aligning energy security and economic competitiveness with decarbonisation goals, and highlighted the role of “utilisation” in the CCUS value chain. Riemer also pointed out the importance of water strategies in CCS project planning and called for increased investment in next-generation capture technologies to improve energy efficiency and reduce costs.
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The 2025 Americas Forum reaffirmed that CCS is entering a critical phase of large-scale deployment. From global leadership to state-level initiatives and industry innovation, the day’s discussions demonstrated how policy, technology, and collaboration are coming together to drive CCS at scale. The Forum underscored the Americas’ pivotal role in advancing CCS, with momentum building across sectors and borders.
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