Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) Technology

The need for effective solutions to combat climate change has never been more pressing. Carbon management solutions have an opportunity to play a defining role in achieving net zero goals. An accelerated deployment of the full suite of carbon management technologies will be critical.

In recent years, leading organizations like the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have highlighted the necessity of leveraging carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies to limit warming to 1.5°C as outlined in the 2015 Paris Agreement. Because carbon dioxide can linger for more than 100 years, CCUS emerges not merely as a technological innovation but as an imperative for survival.

Carbon capture technologies are also considered to be a critical climate solution for hard-to-abate industrial sectors such as iron, steel and cement production.

Demystifying what CCUS is, and exploring its components, benefits and limitations, is key to understanding its indispensable role in our collective journey toward a sustainable future.

CCUS is an acronym that stands for Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage. CCUS represents a portfolio of technologies that involve capturing CO₂ and either converting it or storing it deep underground. Each type of CCUS technology serves a unique purpose; below are some examples of each.

Point Source CO₂ Carbon Capture

The Sleipner project, spearheaded by Equinor in the North Sea, Norway, has been a pioneer in carbon capture and storage since the project’s commencement in 1996. As the world's first commercial CO₂ storage project, Sleipner has been operational for over two decades, demonstrating the long-term viability of CCUS technology. The project captures CO₂ from gas processing and injects it into the Utsira Formation, a deep saline reservoir beneath the sea floor. By September 2016, Sleipner had successfully stored around 15.5 million tonnes of CO₂, with no evidence of leakage, showcasing the project's effectiveness in mitigating emissions and contributing to climate change mitigation solutions. Each year, however, about 1 million tonnes of CO₂ from natural gas is captured and stored, demonstrating the long-term success of the project.

We also want to highlight that Direct Air Capture (DAC) is another example of carbon capture, where CO₂ is removed directly from the atmosphere, rather than being mitigated at the source. This CO₂, as is the case with point-source captured CO₂, can then be utilized or sequestered for long-term storage.

Utilization

CarbonCure Technologies opened its doors in 2012 and has been a clear example of carbon utilization in action. Their cutting-edge technology injects captured CO₂ into concrete during the manufacturing process, which then mineralizes and permanently embeds it within the concrete, enhancing its strength. This not only reduces the carbon footprint of concrete but also improves its performance, according to the company. CarbonCure's technology is a testament to the practical application of CCUS, turning a greenhouse gas into a valuable resource, while contributing to the reduction of carbon emissions in the construction industry.

Storage

Launched by Shell in 2015, the Quest Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project in Alberta, Canada. Designed to capture and sequester over one million tonnes of CO₂ annually, Quest mitigates the environmental impact equivalent to removing about 250,000 cars from the roads each year. Quest has been a part of a broader strategy aimed at reducing the carbon intensity of the energy sector. The project captures CO₂ emissions from the Scotford Upgrader, which processes heavy oil into lighter crude, and then permanently stores the CO₂ in a deep saline aquifer. 

According to the Global CCS Institute, there are 22 active global projects capable of capturing 40 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. However, this only shaves off 0.1% of global emissions each year. This alone demonstrates the magnitude of the carbon problem and the necessity of a rapid scale-up of these technologies to combat emissions.

At AIR COMPANY, our technology focuses on CO₂ Utilization (CCU), which is increasingly called CO₂ conversion to differentiate it from CO₂ used for enhanced oil recovery. Unlike Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), which stores CO₂ underground, CCU converts it into valuable products capable of displacing more carbon-intensive incumbents and establishing a circular CO₂-based manufacturing industry. From carbon-neutral fuels to valuable chemicals, carbon dioxide can be used as a versatile building block applicable across a myriad of sectors. This aligns directly with our mission to transform CO₂ into an endless resource.

Both CO₂ storage and conversion play a critical role in mitigating climate change. Carbon conversion, however, stands out for its dual benefit: reducing net emissions and creating new manufacturing industries. 

Carbon conversion holds enormous climate potential as well as unbounded economic benefits. Most importantly, carbon conversion allows us to produce the same products that we rely on today (and the global economy depends on) with much lower carbon intensity. For example, AIRMADE™ SAF is carbon neutral with preliminary LCA results pointing to a 97% lower carbon intensity compared to conventional jet fuel. In addition to being a cleaner alternative, our fuel can also be used in today’s airplanes with no modifications to the existing infrastructure as a 100% drop-in solution.

Now that we know what CCUS is, let’s discuss the plethora of environmental and economic benefits that carbon utilization (or conversion) offers. The burgeoning market for CO₂-derived products, with an estimated value of up to $1 trillion annually by 2050, underscores the economic potential of CCU technologies. This conversion process, encompassing fuels, chemicals and construction materials, could offset 7 gigatonnes of CO₂ annually—about 15% of current global emissions—demonstrating a substantial net impact on carbon reduction.

Beyond its climate benefits, carbon conversion technologies and CO₂-based manufacturing projects have the potential to be a catalyst for job creation and economic growth. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that the carbon capture and storage market growth will produce between 390,000 and 1.8 million employment opportunities, maintaining and creating well-paying union jobs across industries by 2050. This inherently opens up new job opportunities for skilled labor and research to solidify the economic incentives for adopting CCUS technologies.

Carbon conversion technologies can play a pivotal role in decarbonizing transportation sub-sectors that are otherwise difficult to electrify, like aviation and heavy-duty maritime shipping. The Global CCS Institute underscores that CCU stands as a solution enabling direct emission reductions and facilitating the conversion of CO₂ in industries where avoidance is particularly challenging. This dual capacity positions CCU as an indispensable element in diversified strategies aimed at reaching and surpassing net-zero emissions, highlighting its critical role in the transition to a low-carbon economy.

At AIR COMPANY, we’re working on scaling multiple carbon conversion technologies, capable of converting captured CO₂ into Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), industrial chemicals, and alcohols for consumer applications like spirits and fragrance. Carbon conversion technologies like the ones developed by AIR COMPANY help to build a circular economy that recycles captured CO₂ into valuable applications with the goal of substituting fossil-based fuels and chemicals.

AIRMADE™ SAF exemplifies carbon conversion's potential, transforming CO₂—a waste product and climate change contributor—into valuable commodities like fuels, as highlighted in the Environmental Benefits of Carbon Reuse report. According to the International Air Transport Association, the aviation industry currently accounts for about 2% of global CO₂ emissions. 

While 2% does not sound like a lot, aviation is considered to be one of the hardest to decarbonize sectors due to the lack of clean energy solutions currently available. The key solution that recently began to emerge includes displacing conventional jet fuel with low-carbon intensity sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which can be produced from a variety of feedstocks and via various technological pathways. AIR COMPANY relies on captured CO₂ and green hydrogen to produce SAF, which is generally called power-to-liquid or eSAF. However, multiple pathways to produce eSAF exist. 

At AIR COMPANY, we’ve created a process that allows us to produce AIRMADE™ SAF in a single step from CO₂ and green hydrogen, which is more efficient than legacy PtL SAF pathways such as Fischer-Tropsch. AIRMADE SAF produced with our carbon conversion technology holds significant promise for the decarbonization of the aviation sector at a commercial scale due to the abundant and sustainable feedstocks it relies on, and a more efficient production pathway. 

A report by Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy suggests that at scale and applied across all potential industries, CCU technologies similar to AIR COMPANY’s could reduce global CO₂ emissions by 10.8% by 2050 (based on current emissions). CO₂ utilization helps mitigate the effects of climate change but also contributes to a circular carbon economy where CO₂ venting into the atmosphere is reduced and CO₂ is treated as a resource. This dual approach of environmental stewardship and economic viability makes CCU a precious and effective climate change mitigation solution.

CCUS technologies come with challenges, particularly as costs remain high. According to the International Energy Agency, capturing CO₂ can range from $30 to $100 per tonne, depending on the CO₂ source, technology and application. Additionally, not all captured CO₂ is equal. Biogenic CO₂, for example, comes from natural sources like biomass and is CO₂ that was initially removed from the atmosphere through photosynthesis. Comparatively, fossil CO₂ always adds new CO₂ to the atmosphere when emitted. This means that using biogenic CO₂ as a feedstock for carbon conversion allows even combustible products to become carbon-neutral, like AIRMADE SAF, because it does not add any new CO₂ to the atmosphere when utilized.

The energy intensity of CCUS technology is a significant aspect to consider as well. CCUS faces challenges due to its energy requirements and costs associated with capturing CO₂ from various sources, not just the atmosphere. Despite these challenges, CCUS holds immense potential in mitigating climate change. According to a report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, CCUS could significantly contribute to reducing atmospheric CO₂ levels with sufficient financial investment and supportive government policies—critical for meeting the Paris Agreement targets. The carbon captured through CCUS technologies can be stored underground or used in carbon conversion processes, like those employed by AIR COMPANY, offering a multifaceted approach to addressing climate change.

In conclusion, CCUS—and particularly CCU—offers a viable path to mitigating climate change. At AIR COMPANY, our objective is to help humanity meet long-term climate goals and achieve deep carbon emissions reductions. Ultimately, AIRMADE™ Technology can be a beacon of hope for climate change mitigation and an innovative example of what can be achieved when we think creatively and find ways to treat waste such as CO₂ as a never-ending resource.