Context
As per a new study, the adoption of Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) technologies might fail to help the world reach Net Zero emissions by 2050.
What is CCUS?
- Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) encompasses methods and technologies to remove CO2 from the flue gas and from the atmosphere, followed by recycling the CO2 for utilization and determining safe and permanent storage options.
- Simply put, it sucks carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and convert it into fuel or other valuable products.
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Keeping pace with the global developments to building CCU capacity, the Indian government announced that it would establish two CCU centres:
- The National Centre of Excellence in Carbon Capture and Utilization at IIT, Bombay
- The National Centre in Carbon Capture and Utilization at Bengaluru’s Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research.
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What happens to captured CO2?
- CO2 captured using CCU technologies are converted into fuel (methane and methanol), refrigerants and building materials.
- The captured gas is used directly in fire extinguishers, pharma, food and beverage industries as well as the agricultural sector.
Application
- Agriculture (boost crop growth)
- Industrial by product ( steel manufacturing process)
- Construction material
The goal
- CCU is considered an important tool to help countries halve their emissions by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050.
- These goals are crucial to meet the Paris Agreement targets for restricting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius (°C), and preferable to 1.5°C, over pre-industrial levels.
