THE BIG PICTURE: Momentum for CCS

While only one commercial power plant equipped with carbon capture and storage (CCS) remains in operation today, the momentum for CCS appears to have picked up dramatically over the past year. According to a database curated by the Global CCS Institute, more than 30 power generation CCS projects are under construction or in various stages of development.

Many projects were announced between January 2020 and August 2021, spurred by new incentives in the U.S. However, CCS project development has also ramped up in Europe and Asia. Also notable is that several of the newly announced projects aren’t just related to coal generation. Nearly a third of newly announced projects seek to abate emissions from gas generation, and several projects involve biomass and waste-based power generation.

Notes: Years cited indicate estimated operation start dates. Mtpa = million tons of carbon dioxide per annum. tpa = tons per annum.  Source: Global CCS Institute CCS Facilities Database.

—Copy and artwork Sonal Patel is a POWER senior associate editor (@sonalcpatel, @POWERmagazine).