An Overview of Carbon Capture and Storage and its Potential Role in the Energy Transition

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is one of a number of mitigation options and a key component of some proposed negative emissions technologies that can be considered to stabilize atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations in order to meet the targets set out in the Paris Agreement. CCS involves the capture of CO2 emissions produced from industrial and power generation sources, followed by transport to underground geological storage and long-term isolation from the atmospheric system. Here, we provide a brief introductory review of the steps involved with CCS developments, different options for geological storage, the potential role of CCS in the energy transition, and a discussion of some of the key associated risks and uncertainties. In short, CCS can provide an important avenue for mitigating the increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, particularly during the energy transition.