Carbon capture and storage
Capture of CO₂ from a source, transport and storage intended to isolate it from the atmosphere.
Example
A facility can capture a portion of an industrial CO₂ stream for geological storage.
The catch
Capturing fossil CO₂ at source generally reduces emissions without removing past atmospheric CO₂.
In more depth
Carbon capture and storage, explained.
Carbon capture and storage is most useful where emissions are hard to avoid any other way, such as cement, where heating limestone releases CO₂ whatever fuel is used. Capture equipment consumes energy, so a plant burns more fuel for the same output, and no system catches the whole stream. For gas-fired plants, upstream methane leaks from the supply chain continue untouched.
Storage is the part that earns the name. CO₂ injected into deep saline formations or depleted gas fields needs monitoring for decades to confirm it stays put. CO₂ used to make drinks or synthetic fuels returns to the air quickly, so it does not count as storage. Paired with bioenergy or direct air capture, the same chain can deliver carbon dioxide removal.