What is CCUS?

‘ExxonMobil and Nucor sign for CCUS’, ‘Koch and Chart Industries sign CCUS MoU’ and ‘Sekisui Chemical and Tokai Carbon partner for CCUS’. These are just a few of the recent headlines Tank Storage Magazine has covered. Every month, more companies announce they are joining forces to partner for carbon capture, utilisation and storage to help in the battle against global climate change. According to the IEA, carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) refers to a ‘suite of technologies that can play a diverse role in meeting global energy and climate goals’. But exactly what is CCUS? And why are companies suddenly making use of this technology? What has prompted the sudden increase in global projects? How Does CCUS Work? According to the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, energy production account for 72% of global emissions. This includes 31% from heat and electricity generation. So, with greenhouses gases on the rise, the industry needs to capture and lock away those emissions. In four steps, CCUS removes emissions from the atmosphere: Carbon is captured from a source, usually industrial facilities where CO2 is produced and can be captured directly...