The Future of Fossil Fuels: Carbon Capture and Carbon Removal Technologies
The future of fossil fuels is at the center of the United Nations climate summit in Dubai, where many activists, experts and nations are calling for an agreement to phase out the oil, gas and coal responsible for warming the planet. On the other side: energy companies and oil-rich nations with plans to keep drilling well into the future. In the background of those discussions are carbon capture and carbon removal, technologies most, if not all, producers are counting on to meet their pledges to get to net-zero emissions.
Carbon capture is a technology used to separate carbon dioxide from other gases coming out of industrial facilities such as coal-fired power plants and ethanol plants. The captured carbon is then concentrated into a form that can be transported in a vehicle or through a pipeline to a place where it can be injected underground for long-term storage. Carbon removal, on the other hand, is the process of removing carbon dioxide that is already in the atmosphere. This can be done through natural processes such as restoring forests, or through technology, such as directly capturing it from the air using chemicals.
Many experts say the technology to capture carbon and store it works, but it’s expensive, and it’s still in the early days of deployment. There are about 40 large-scale carbon capture projects in operation around the world capturing roughly 45 million metric tons of carbon dioxide each year, according to the International Energy Agency. The IEA says the history of carbon capture “has largely been one of unmet expectations.”
The American Petroleum Institute says oil and gas will remain a critical energy source for decades, meaning that for the world to reduce its carbon emissions, rapidly expanding carbon capture technology is “key to cleaner energy use across the economy.” The Biden administration wants more investment in carbon capture and removal, too, building off America’s comparatively large spending compared with the rest of the world.
Despite the support for carbon capture and removal, some environmentalists argue that fossil fuel companies are holding up carbon capture to distract from the need to quickly phase out oil, gas and coal. There are also other problems. Some projects haven’t met their carbon removal targets, and some worry that carbon capture can serve to prolong the life of a polluting plant that would otherwise shut down sooner.
The future of fossil fuels is uncertain, but carbon capture and carbon removal technologies are an important part of the solution. Investment is picking up, and the federal government is working on improving safety standards and providing tax benefits and funding for new projects. It is clear that carbon capture and removal technologies are essential during a global transition to clean energy, and they will play a key role in helping the world meet its energy needs and climate goals.
