New Energy World™
New Energy World™ embraces the whole energy industry as it connects and converges to address the decarbonisation challenge. It covers progress being made across the industry, from the dynamics under way to reduce emissions in oil and gas, through improvements to the efficiency of energy conversion and use, to cutting-edge initiatives in renewable and low-carbon technologies.
How to overcome the technical challenges of carbon capture projects
9/10/2024
8 min read
Feature
Striking the right balance between providing secure, affordable and increasingly lower-carbon energy will be key to building a more sustainable future. There is a genuine desire to decarbonise the energy system with ‘maximum energy, minimal emissions’. What is the role of carbon capture in delivering a low-carbon future and how are the technical challenges being addressed, asks Ken Ede, Head of Decarbonisation Middle East for leading consulting and engineering group Wood.
Carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) will play a critical role in delivering a lower-carbon future. While this market is still maturing, there have been some very positive advancements over the past decade. The challenge now is to accelerate this progress, as the volume of projects that have moved beyond early engineering stages is still relatively small.
Today, there are around 45 commercial carbon capture facilities in operation globally, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), with a total annual capture capacity of more than 50mn t/y. By comparison, the number of proposed facilities at early engineering or study phase exceeds 700 globally.
CCUS projects are often technically complex, expensive and require significant financial incentives. It is essential to develop technical and commercial solutions that enable operators to safely capture CO2, transport and permanently store it, or unlock value by re-using carbon for alternative purposes. Wood is committed to supporting this effort, particularly in regions and markets that are heavily investing in CCUS.