The members of our Scientific Advisory Committee have recently published a new paper on the climate mitigation potential of Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU), including opportunities and limitations linked to those technologies.
CCU technologies have the potential to play a significant role in the mitigation of climate change as described in the latest report of the Working Group 3 of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). However, no precise estimate of the potential mitigation role of CCU technologies exists to date, because of uncertainties in renewable electricity cost scenarios and the low granularity of models that simulate different CCU options.
Many of the technologies are already mature enough to be deployed and have the potential to reduce net CO2 emissions in gigatons equivalence CO2 emissions. Unlike other options, CCU technologies provide drop-in fuel solutions which can be introduced in existing markets without significant modifications to powertrain production, distribution and infrastructures.
CCU technologies have the potential to provide solutions to hard-to-abate sectors and to generate revenues through the production of marketable products. CCU can also help to achieve energy sovereignty and a reduced dependency on fossil fuel-based energy.
Please find the new paper here.