CCUS-The Pragmatist’s Solution To The Decarbonization Goal

Fossil fuels are responsible for the lion’s share of atmospheric greenhouse gases, including CO2. This is both a function of their nature, (as carbon-rich deposits in the earth that have been extracted for energy), and also their profound role as our primary sources of energy, both historically and in the present day.

Fossil fuels continue to make up around 80% of our energy mix. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says emissions from fossil fuels need to be halved in the next eleven years if we are to meet our Paris Accord goals.

There are two ways to do this:

• Use fewer fossil fuels in our energy mix.
• Or use existing technologies to extract the carbon from their emissions at the source of combustion.

Given the inability of renewables to ever replace fossil fuels (especially true if we want to help the global south industrialize), investments should be made into CCUS to decarbonize fossil fuel-based energy production.

This problem calls for pragmatism.

Given the dominance of fossil fuels in meeting global energy demand and the need for the global south to develop and industrialize using cheap, abundant energy sources, capturing carbon during (or just after) the energy production process would appear to be the fastest way forward to adjust to a more sustainable energy model.

And the best way to achieve Rapid Decarbonization.

Remember… the IPCC wants to halve fossil fuel emissions. That doesn’t necessarily mean replacing fossil fuels.

Carbon Capture, Utilization, And Storage (CCUS) Makes Fossil Fuels Carbon-Free

At its current technological state, Carbon Capture And Storage (sometimes also referred to as Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage/Sequestration) can remove over 90% of the carbon created during the energy production process.

It is on track to reach 100% if it continues to attract investment.

To put it simply: we can make fossil fuels carbon-neutral using CCUS and we can deploy that very quickly if the funding is there.

Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) is a technology that captures the carbon dioxide (CO2) produced from the use of fossil fuels in power generation and other industrial processes, and stores it away securely instead of releasing it into the atmosphere. This technology can significantly reduce the amount of CO2 released from power plants, helping to reduce atmospheric CO2.

With CCUS, we can continue to use fossil fuels while reducing their negative impact on our atmosphere. This technology can also be used in combination with other methods of decarbonization, helping stabilize and reduce atmospheric CO2.

We Will Not Meet Our Paris Accord Goals Without CCUS.

The current trajectory of renewable energy sources is significantly below the 60%-by-2030 target, despite trillions of dollars of investments.

Courtesy IEA 2022; Renewable Energy, https://www.iea.org/reports/renewable-electricity, License: CC BY 4.0

The Paris Agreement, signed in 2015, seeks to put the world on the path toward rapid decarbonization by 2050. To meet these goals, drastic CO2 reductions must be achieved and CCUS technology is an important part of this process.

CCUS helps to bridge the gap between current emissions and the necessary reductions, providing a much-needed solution to help us meet our goals.

And with the right investments, CCUS can be scaled up fast, providing a viable, measurable path toward rapid decarbonization.

CarbonKerma. Minted For Good.

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