Industries where carbon capture is most valuable
Some industries are inherently hard to decarbonize because their processes emit CO2 directly or require high-temperature heat or chemical feedstocks. Carbon capture provides a realistic pathway to significantly reduce emissions in these sectors.
Primary candidate industries
- Cement and concrete: process emissions from calcination are substantial and difficult to eliminate without capture or alternative materials.
- Steelmaking: blast furnaces and some reduction processes produce CO2; capture or switching to low-carbon hydrogen-based processes are options.
- Chemicals and refining: hydrogen production, cracking, and other processes emit concentrated CO2 that can be captured.
- Power generation with fossil fuels: capturing CO2 from coal or gas plants can reduce emissions while the grid transitions.
- Bioenergy with CCS (BECCS): biomass combustion combined with capture can deliver net negative emissions.
Why these industries benefit
- High concentration of CO2: concentrated flue gases are cheaper to capture than dilute sources.
- Few alternatives: some processes need chemical conversion that currently relies on fossil carbon for feedstock, making capture a practical solution.
- Industrial clusters: co-locating CO2 sources and storage or utilization pathways reduces transport costs and creates economies of scale.
Other potential uses
- Waste-to-energy facilities and some manufacturing processes that produce point-source CO2 can also integrate capture.
Considerations
- Cost-effectiveness varies by site and process; capture is most attractive where CO2 is concentrated and where policy rewards emission reductions.
- Combining capture with hydrogen and other low-carbon technologies can accelerate decarbonization in hard-to-abate sectors.
Conclusion
Cement, steel, chemicals, refining, and fossil-based power are among the industries that stand to gain the most from carbon capture. In these sectors, CCS can play a central role in achieving deep emissions reductions that would otherwise be difficult or slow to obtain.