What is Carbon Capture and Storage?

According to the United Nations, fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) are the largest contributors of climate change around the world. They account for 75 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and around 90 percent of all carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions.

The sun’s heat gets trapped by greenhouse gas emissions, which leads to global warming and climate change. Heat waves are changing weather patterns and are playing havoc with the ecological balance of the Earth.

Carbon capture and storage is one way of reducing carbon emissions that could help reduce global warming.

What is Carbon Capture and Storage?

Carbon capture and Storage (CCS) is the process of trapping CO₂ that is produced by power plants and factories using fossil fuels, so that greenhouse gasses are not emitted into the atmosphere. Once the CO₂ has been captured, it is then transported and stored, or used in industrial processes.

It is a three-step process that involves:

1. Capturing the carbon: CO₂ is separated from other gases.
2. Transporting the carbon: CO₂ is compressed and transported via pipelines, road transport or ships to a storage site.
3. Storing the carbon underground: CO₂ is injected into rock formations deep underground, to be stored permanently.
   
   

Three Types of Carbon Capture
There are three categories of technologies that can be used to capture CO₂ from the facilities emitting it:

1. Post-combustion carbon capture (the primary method used in existing power plants)
2. Pre-combustion carbon capture (largely used in industrial processes)
3. Oxy-fuel combustion systems
   

After the CO₂ has been captured, it is compressed into a fluid, making it easier to be transported to a storage site. It is usually transported through pipelines or ships, and sometimes via trains and other vehicles too. 

Types of Carbon Storage
The two main types of carbon storage are:

1. Biological Carbon Storage
   This is the storage of CO₂ in vegetation like grasslands and forests, as well as in oceans and soils.

2. Geological Carbon Storage
   This is the process of storing CO₂ in underground geologic formations, or rocks. After capturing CO₂, it is injected into porous rocks for long-time storage.