Making the Most of Excess CO2 with CCUS Technologies

Carbon dioxide is the leading greenhouse gas emitted by human activity, triggering climate change and negatively impacting the environment. Technologies to capture the gas and then store or utilize it for other means, are explored in IDTechEx's portfolio of Energy & Decarbonization Research Reports and Subscriptions, where the latest research into decarbonization efforts can be found.

 

 

Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) refers to a group of technologies that aim to remove excess CO₂ from the atmosphere, either directly or from flue gases. Once the CO₂ has been captured, it is compressed and transported, where it will finally be either stored or utilized. CCUS is becoming an increasingly recognized means of decarbonizing and bringing increased circularity to many industries. IDTechEx reports that as of 2025, 50 million tonnes of new CCUS capture capacity is under construction, with many new projects in development. However, large-scale CCUS capacity will require incentives such as tax credits or government subsidies to really take off.

 

Cement and steel production, along with existing energy systems, are some of the most difficult sectors to decarbonize, making carbon capture a necessary part of the path to more sustainable processes. When it comes to emerging sectors like blue hydrogen or bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, CCUS technologies are essential to bringing about industrial sustainability. Alongside carbon capture deployed in these systems, removing CO₂ emissions already in the atmosphere is another key application for the technology. IDTechEx's report, "Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) Markets 2026-2036: Technologies, Market Forecasts, and Players", forecasts that 700 million tonnes per year of CO₂ will be captured globally by 2036.

 

 

 

Storing captured CO₂ lacks some of the additional benefits of CO₂ utilization, as it is expensive and does nothing to contribute to a circular economy. There is emerging interest in treating captured carbon dioxide as a valuable raw material rather than a harmful waste product. For some applications such as enhanced oil recovery and biological yield boosting, the CO₂ can be injected and used in its natural form. For other applications, such as building materials, chemicals, polymers, and food sources, the goal is to chemically transform the gas into something new entirely. For the creation of fuels and chemicals, reductive pathways are also employed with the use of hydrogen to break the bonds in CO₂.

 

Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) is one major application for CO₂, although some CO₂ is still being sourced from natural deposits rather than carbon capture. IDTechEx reports that most captured CO₂ is today used for enhanced oil recovery, meaning the scope for CO₂-EOR is large and will allow for oil with the lowest carbon footprint. EOR will remain a key part of the emerging carbon dioxide utilization market, which IDTechEx forecasts will exceed US$69 billion by 2036. IDTechEx's report, "Carbon Dioxide Utilization 2026-2036: Technologies, Market Forecasts, and Players", covers some of the main applications for CO₂ utilization, along with manufacturing processes and forecasts for their uptake.

 

 

Some considerations remain when deciding where to best place captured CO₂. Scalability is a necessary factor to ensure that the intended product has enough capacity to accommodate the amount of captured gas, while other gases involved also need to meet low-carbon requirements, with the right infrastructure also needing to be in place. Without these, certain CO₂ utilization projects cannot feasibly take off and become a success. Price competitiveness and mandated demand of products will also play a role in ensuring whether a project is a worthwhile endeavor. Lastly, considering the amount of CO₂ that will actually be used, and the possibility of achieving net-zero production of many products will also come into play, to make sure that the CO₂ utilization market is able to achieve sustainable growth.

 

For more information on the newest CCUS developments worldwide, visit IDTechEx's portfolio of Energy & Decarbonization Research Reports and Subscriptions for the latest research and forecasts.