Carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) are back in the climate policy spotlight. The IPCC AR6 includes CCS in all pathways that limit warming to 1.5°C, and governments from the US to India are offering incentives for capture technology deployment.
The technology case is strongest for hard-to-abate sectors: cement (where process emissions cannot be eliminated by fuel switching), steel (where hydrogen-based reduction is still scaling up), and natural gas processing (where CO2 separation is already part of the production process).
The criticism is also well-founded. CCS has a history of underperformance: high costs, lower-than-promised capture rates, and delays. Critics argue that CCS extends the fossil fuel era by providing a technological justification for continued extraction.
RSustain’s position is pragmatic. CCS is not a substitute for energy efficiency, renewable energy, and demand reduction — it is a complement for the residual emissions that these measures cannot eliminate. Companies considering CCS should ensure it is part of a comprehensive decarbonisation strategy, not a replacement for one.
For our Gulf clients, CCS is particularly relevant. Qatar and the UAE are investing in blue hydrogen (gas + CCS) as a bridge to green hydrogen. The economics depend on carbon price trajectories and capture technology improvements — both of which are moving in the right direction.