Carbon Capture & Storage Advances Explained: The Rise of Next-Generation CO₂ Removal Technologies
By Lola Foresight
Publication Date: 7 March 2018 — 13:21 GMT
(Image Credit: Wikipedia)
Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) underwent a renaissance in 2018. Once dismissed as too slow and too expensive, CCS re-emerged as a critical pillar of net-zero strategy.
New catalysts, solid sorbents, and electrochemical CO₂ capture systems improved:
- Capture efficiency
- Energy use
- Cost per ton
- Scalability
Key breakthroughs included:
- Direct Air Capture (DAC) plants capable of removing CO₂ from ambient air
- Mineralization techniques that turn CO₂ into stone
- Bioenergy with carbon capture (BECCS) delivering net-negative emissions
- Point-source capture systems for steel and cement
- Ocean-based carbon uptake accelerators
The global mission is clear:
Even rapid decarbonization is not enough.
We must also remove CO₂ already emitted.
CCS is not an optional tool — it is a planetary necessity
