Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Frequently Asked Questions

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) presents a critical overview of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), asserting that the technology overpromises on emission reductions while introducing significant safety risks and high costs. The document highlights the 'energy penalty'—the extra energy required to power capture equipment—and notes that most existing projects are used for enhanced oil recovery (EOR), which can increase overall emissions. It warns that a large-scale CCS buildout in the United States would require an unrealistic and dangerous expansion of pipeline infrastructure. Furthermore, the text argues that CCS is unnecessary for 'hard to abate' industrial sectors, where electrification and demand reduction are more viable, and critiques 'blue hydrogen' as a means to prolong fossil fuel dependence. The document concludes that global capture capacity is negligible compared to total emissions and that public subsidies, such as the US 45Q tax credit, inappropriately support the fossil fuel economy.

• CCS is characterized as an ineffective climate solution that frequently fails to meet emission targets and creates its own emissions through an 'energy penalty'—the additional energy needed to run the equipment, which the IPCC states can increase fuel requirements for electricity generation by 13–44%.
• Most operational CCS projects globally are dedicated to enhanced oil recovery (EOR), a process that injects CO2 to stimulate oil production; the emissions from burning the resulting oil are significantly higher than the CO2 stored, undermining climate benefits.
• A large-scale deployment of CCS in the United States to capture 25% of current emissions by 2050 would require constructing over 60,000 miles of new pipelines and managing CO2 volumes 2.5 times greater than current US oil production.
• The document argues that CCS is unnecessary for heavy industries like cement, steel, and plastics, as most emissions can be eliminated via electrification, reuse, and demand reduction; for example, US cement emissions account for less than 1% of total US emissions.
• The use of 'blue hydrogen' (hydrogen produced from fossil fuels with CCS) is described as a 'tether to the fossil fuel economy' with lifecycle emissions that can exceed those of burning the original gas directly.
• CO2 transport and storage pose severe safety risks, including groundwater contamination, seismic activity, and fatal asphyxiation from pipeline ruptures, as evidenced by a February 2020 rupture in Satartia, Mississippi, that hospitalized over 40 people.
• As of December 2022, global operational capture capacity was 42.6 million tonnes per year (mtpa), representing just over 0.1% of the 38 gigatons of CO2 emitted globally from fossil fuels and industry.
• In the United States, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 increased 45Q tax credits to 85 USD per tonne for sequestered carbon and 60 USD per tonne for utilized carbon, with higher rates for direct air capture (DAC).

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2023). Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Frequently Asked Questions. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Carbon-Capture-and-Storage-FAQ.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Frequently Asked Questions. 2023. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Carbon-Capture-and-Storage-FAQ.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Frequently Asked Questions |date=April 2023 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Carbon-Capture-and-Storage-FAQ.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2023carbon, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Frequently Asked Questions}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2023}, month = apr, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Carbon-Capture-and-Storage-FAQ.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }