In the context of global efforts to reduce emissions and address climate change, the importance of Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) technology is increasingly prominent. According to the latest data released by the International Energy Agency (IEA), the global capacity for carbon capture in 2021 is mainly concentrated in the United States and China. The United States ranks first globally in terms of absolute carbon capture volume, while China stands out in terms of growth rate, becoming the country with the fastest growing carbon capture capacity in the world.

In recent years, China has made rapid progress in carbon capture technology, forming a comprehensive technical system for carbon capture, utilization, and storage, and has carried out numerous demonstration applications. While recognizing the achievements and opportunities, we must also acknowledge the problems and challenges. Currently, China faces challenges in promoting the in-depth development of carbon capture technology at the technical, economic, policy and regulatory, social awareness, and talent levels.

• Against the global backdrop of addressing climate change, carbon capture technology, as one of the crucial means to achieve carbon neutrality, is experiencing unprecedented development opportunities in China. Driven by technological innovation, industrial development, policy support, and international cooperation, carbon capture technology will play a significant role in achieving the carbon neutrality goal, laying a solid foundation for building a green and low-carbon future.

Carbon capture technology is one of the key technologies for long-term emission reduction and deep decarbonization in the steel industry, playing a significant role in addressing climate change and achieving the goal of carbon neutrality. The recent International Conference on Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) held in Beijing has once again brought the development trends and technical challenges in carbon capture, utilization, and storage into the spotlight. The International Energy Agency predicts that achieving global net-zero emissions by 2050 will not be sufficient through merely reducing the use of fossil fuels. It is estimated that at least 1 billion metric tons of CO2 will need to be removed annually, with the technology widely regarded as a necessary measure to achieve this goal. The core of this technology lies in capturing CO2 from industrial emission sources through a series of methods and safely storing or reusing it. As climate change intensifies, the global demand for carbon capture technology continues to rise.

This article summarizes the main overseas application cases of carbon capture technology, the current domestic development status, and the problems and challenges faced, while providing a brief outlook on future development.

Relevant projects in major overseas countries have their own merits

In the context of global efforts to reduce emissions and address climate change, the importance of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technology is increasingly evident. According to the latest data released by the International Energy Agency, the global capacity for carbon capture is primarily concentrated in the United States and China. The United States leads the world in absolute carbon capture totals, while China stands out in terms of growth, becoming the fastest-growing country in carbon capture globally.

In the year, the global carbon capture and storage capacity reached 100 million tons, with the United States and Brazil occupying a % market share. Although Brazil's carbon capture capacity primarily comes from 100 factories, the United States, with its diverse independent facilities, demonstrates its strong capabilities in carbon capture technology. Specifically, multiple power plants in the United States use post-combustion capture technology, significantly enhancing their carbon capture capacity. The United States has made substantial investments in carbon capture and storage, potentially becoming an important testing ground for this emerging technology. Relevant data shows that in the year, the global production scale expanded significantly due to the operation of a carbon dioxide project in Canada, while the United States has a considerable number of operational and planned carbon capture projects, currently totaling 100. The projects being developed in the United States and Canada primarily utilize the captured carbon to restore oil extraction activities. The Petra Nova project, which started in 2014 and shut down in 2020, was the only coal-fired power plant carbon capture project in the United States, capable of capturing 1 million tons of carbon dioxide annually and transporting it to oil fields for utilization. In 2020, researchers from Northwestern University in the United States developed the "humidity swing" technology, which uses a series of ions to capture carbon dioxide at low humidity and release it at high humidity, providing a more energy-efficient method of direct air capture compared to traditional technologies. This method, combining innovative kinetic approaches and various ions, can remove carbon almost anywhere. Also in 2020, researchers from Northwestern University proposed five new anions (silicate, borate, pyrophosphate, tripolyphosphate, and dibasic phosphate) based on wet regenerative carbon capture. When these anions are introduced into ion exchange membranes, they enable the capture of carbon dioxide under dry conditions and its release under humid conditions.

The Canadian government plans to provide subsidies for projects and equipment used in the production of low-carbon energy to promote the development of related technologies. Among them, the Boundary Dam Energy Project, which has been in operation for a year, can capture about 10,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually, with a high capture rate, which is of great significance for reducing carbon emissions from power plants. Another project, also in operation for a year, injects carbon dioxide produced during the crude oil hydrogenation process into saline aquifers for storage, marking an important practice in Canada's carbon capture and storage efforts and providing a viable solution for reducing industrial carbon emissions.

The UK has implemented policies to promote the development of carbon capture technology, such as establishing a Carbon Capture and Storage Infrastructure Fund. The UK National Research Centre is dedicated to increasing the capture rate of carbon dioxide in industrial production, seeking to capture large amounts of carbon dioxide from industrial processes, and striving to raise the capture rate of carbon dioxide in industrial production to % or higher. In , the Tata Steel carbon capture demonstration project in operation within the UK was able to capture 1 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, accounting for approximately % of the total emissions from local gas power stations.

Australia has multiple carbon capture and storage projects, such as the "CarbonNet" project, which plans to store tens of thousands of tons of carbon dioxide annually in the Bass Strait off the southeast coast of Australia, with an expected launch by the year. In 2019, RMIT University announced a room-temperature conversion technology for solid carbon, which uses liquid metal as a catalyst to continuously and effectively transform carbon dioxide from the air into solid carbon at room temperature for the first time. The "CarbonNet" project, expected to be operational by the year (currently in the planning and advancement stage), will be implemented in the Bass Strait off the southeast coast of Australia, with an annual estimated storage capacity of tens of thousands of tons of carbon dioxide.

A carbon capture technology based on isophorone diamine () discovered by a research team from Tokyo Metropolitan University in Japan has been published in the journal "Environment" in the year. It can directly capture carbon dioxide from the environment, removing carbon dioxide concentrations exceeding % (approximately the concentration level in the atmosphere), with an efficiency at least twice that of other direct air capture () systems currently available. The reaction product is converted into a solid form from the solution, avoiding the problem of product accumulation in the liquid phase that leads to a decrease in reaction rate. In the month of the year, BASF and its engineering partner JGC Corporation jointly developed a high-pressure regenerative carbon dioxide capture technology—the technology, which is Japan's first demonstration project for producing blue hydrogen and blue ammonia from local natural gas. The hydrogen production facility is expected to start operation in the year. In the year, a Japanese survey company conducted a carbon dioxide sequestration test in the seabed near Tomakomai City, Hokkaido, by compressing and storing carbon dioxide emitted from a refinery in Hokkaido. So far, approximately million tons of carbon dioxide have been sequestered.

The carbon capture technology developed by SINTEF and released in Norway uses vacuum heat pump technology, which requires only electricity and no combustion. Compared to the most economical current carbon capture methods, it reduces costs by approximately 30%. Additionally, it makes the retrofitting of carbon capture technology in factories producing cement, fertilizers, and other products easier.

my country's carbon capture technology is developing rapidly

But challenges still face

In recent years, China has seen rapid development in carbon capture technology, forming a comprehensive technical system for carbon capture, utilization, and storage, and has carried out numerous demonstration applications. As of the end of the month, China has put into operation projects, with a total carbon capture capacity of approximately million tons of carbon dioxide per year. In the year, the technology was first written into China's economic and social development guidelines, with policy emphasis on supporting technology research and development and demonstration, and an increasing number of policy provisions related to technical standards and investment financing. Among them, the first nationwide million-ton level coal-fired power plant carbon capture and carbonization utilization full-process coupling demonstration project (Lanxi, Zhejiang) that went into operation in the year captures and utilizes an amount of carbon dioxide equivalent to the annual carbon sequestration of million acres of forest. The project has developed highly efficient and low-energy carbon capture materials, with an average carbon capture rate exceeding % and a carbon dioxide purity as high as %.

From a technological development perspective, on one hand, China has various technology research and pilot projects, such as chemical absorption, physical adsorption, and membrane separation technologies, which have undergone certain research and pilot phases. Some technologies have already entered the industrial demonstration stage (such as solid adsorption), while others (such as membrane separation, chemical looping combustion, and direct air capture technologies) are in the pilot stage. On the other hand, in some large energy enterprises and industrial sectors, China has implemented carbon capture projects, such as enhanced oil recovery projects in the petroleum sector that use carbon dioxide for oil displacement while achieving storage. Meanwhile, universities, research institutions, and enterprises are increasing their investment in the research and development of carbon capture technologies and have initiated some international cooperation and exchanges. From a policy support perspective, the state has implemented a series of policies to encourage the development of technologies like carbon capture. In the planning of some regions and industries, the layout and development of such projects have been mentioned. Around carbon capture, China is beginning to form a产业链 that includes technology research and development, equipment manufacturing, engineering design, and project operation.

The development of things is like the two sides of a coin, bringing opportunities while also accompanied by issues and challenges. Specifically, at present, China faces challenges at various levels in promoting the in-depth development of carbon capture technology.

One is the technical aspect. Firstly, high energy consumption and costs are involved, as the capture process requires a significant amount of energy, leading to high overall costs, making it economically feasible only in a few scenarios currently. Secondly, the technological maturity needs to be improved, as most capture technologies are still in the pilot or industrial demonstration stages and cannot fully meet the requirements for large-scale, long-term stable operation. For example, technologies like membrane separation need further improvements to enhance performance. Thirdly, there is a lack of multi-pollutant collaborative control technologies. The process of capture does not yet have mature technologies for the co-treatment of associated pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides. Lastly, there is a lack of long-term safety and reliability data. There is insufficient long-term validation data on the stability of equipment and the durability of materials in the long-term operation of carbon capture systems.

Second, at the economic level. On one hand, the long investment return cycle leads to low enthusiasm for social capital participation, and rapid development is difficult to achieve with only large state-owned enterprises and government promotion. On the other hand, the cost-sharing mechanism is imperfect, with unclear cost sharing among various links in the industrial chain, making it difficult to form a reasonable price system. Additionally, the market mechanism is not well-developed, the carbon trading market is still underdeveloped, and carbon capture projects struggle to obtain sufficient incentives and returns from carbon trading.

Thirdly, at the policy and regulatory level. Despite policy guidance, the actual subsidies, tax incentives, and other incentive policies for carbon capture are limited in strength and coverage. Additionally, there is a lack of a nationwide unified planning and standard system in areas such as project layout, technical specifications, safety, and environmental protection. The regulatory framework for the transportation and storage of carbon dioxide is incomplete, posing certain environmental risks and safety hazards.

The fourth aspect is social cognition and talent. On one hand, the general public lacks sufficient understanding of the significance and safety of carbon capture, which can lead to social resistance when projects are implemented. On the other hand, there is a shortage of professional talent in the stages from research and development to engineering application, which restricts the rapid development of the industry.

Carbon capture technology will be used in China

ushered in unprecedented development opportunities

Against the global backdrop of addressing climate change, carbon capture technology, as one of the crucial means to achieve carbon neutrality goals, is experiencing unprecedented development opportunities in China. In the future, China's carbon capture sector is expected to make significant progress in the following areas:

One is technological innovation and breakthrough. With continuous increases in research investment, our country is expected to achieve innovative results in carbon capture materials and processes. Among these, the development of new adsorbents, membrane materials, and chemical solvents will further enhance the efficiency and selectivity of carbon capture, reducing costs. Advanced capture technologies, such as biological capture and electrochemical capture, are likely to transition from laboratory to industrial applications, providing more diversified options for carbon capture. Intelligent technologies will be widely applied in the carbon capture process, achieving precise control and efficient operation through big data analysis and artificial intelligence optimization.

Second, industrial scale and coordinated development. The carbon capture industry chain will gradually become complete, forming a comprehensive industrial system from material research and development, equipment manufacturing to engineering design and operation maintenance. At the same time, large-scale carbon capture projects will continue to emerge, driving rapid expansion of the industrial scale. Carbon capture will deeply integrate with other emission reduction technologies, such as renewable energy and energy storage, to form comprehensive solutions for coordinated emission reduction. For example, captured carbon dioxide can be used for storage and conversion of renewable energy, improving energy utilization efficiency. Additionally, cross-industry cooperation is expected to become increasingly frequent, with key industries such as energy, chemicals, and steel collaborating closely with environmental enterprises and research institutions to jointly promote the application and dissemination of carbon capture technology.

Third, policy support and market mechanisms. It is expected that the government will continue to introduce more comprehensive policies and regulations to provide strong policy support and guidance for the development of carbon capture industries, including financial subsidies, tax incentives, and the optimization of carbon emission trading systems, encouraging enterprises to actively engage in carbon capture projects. Meanwhile, as the national carbon emission trading market continues to mature, the emission reductions generated by carbon capture are likely to gain higher value recognition in the market, bringing economic benefits to enterprises and further promoting the application of carbon capture technology.

Four is international cooperation and exchange. China will strengthen international cooperation in the field of carbon capture, actively participate in international research projects and technology exchange activities, promote the application and promotion of carbon capture technology in countries along the Belt and Road through platforms such as the Belt and Road Initiative, jointly address the challenges of global climate change, and enhance China's influence in global climate governance.

Author Li Xiwen Zhang Zihao Editor Wang Zhi Reviewer Liu Jiajun Planner Chen Xiaoli