With advancing carbon emissions and vicious pollution levels across the world, the need to control carbon dioxide amounts in the atmosphere has increased by multiple folds. Escalating emissions have led to fatal respiratory diseases and disruptions in everyday operations globally.
To assist in tackling global warming and tending to the planet, research has given way to discovery of the CCS method, which is an abbreviation for Carbon capture and storage. Referring to the idea of deployment of procedures that actually help in reducing CO2 emissions.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change voices the need for such a method in order to limit prospective temperature rises to 1.5°C, we need to do something more than just cutting down emissions. Rather, removal of existing carbon in the atmosphere also has to be given enough importance. The dire urgency of the present scenario makes CCS sound like a right fit!
CCS involves the capture of carbon dioxide releases from industrial processes such as cement manufacturing or fossil fuels in generating power. This gas is then transported from the source through a pipeline to terrestrial formations.
There are three essential steps to the execution of CCS:
1) Capturing CO2 for storage: carbon dioxide is separated from other gases produced in processes on an industrial scale
2) Transport: compressed, it is then sent to storage site via pipelines or other forms of logistics
3) Storage: finally, it is assimilated into storage sites, mostly saline aquifers and depleted oil or gas reservoirs
In adherence to the depleting quality of air, the CO2 capture capacity of all CCS facilities under development grew to 244 million tonnes per annum in 2022 – an impressive increase of 44% over the year.
Through an economic perspective, CCS lays a pathway to utilise existing skills,newer ‘green’ industries and employment areas which fuels the implementation of CCS in both developed and developing nations.
CCS is a helping hand in eliminating the high amount of carbon in the atmosphere but will only be effective if newer additions of the gas in the atmosphere remain at sustainable levels. It is a shared responsibility of global citizens to realise what their actions would do to the environment!
Source: https://www.iea.org/reports/global-energy-review-co2-emissions-in-2021-2