carbon capture and storage

How Carbon Capture and Storage Works

  1. Capture: CO₂ is captured directly at its source—such as from factory smokestacks or power plants—using advanced technologies like pre-combustion, post-combustion, or oxy-fuel combustion methods.
  2. Transport: The captured CO₂ is compressed and transported via pipelines, ships, or other infrastructure to storage locations.
  3. Storage: CO₂ is injected into deep geological formations, such as depleted oil and gas fields or saline aquifers, where it can be securely stored for thousands of years.

The Benefits of Carbon Capture and Storage

  • Emission Reduction: CCS can capture up to 90% of CO₂ emissions from industrial sources, significantly reducing the carbon footprint of key sectors like energy, cement, and steel.
  • Decarbonizing Hard-to-Abate Industries: For industries where emissions are difficult to eliminate, CCS provides a viable pathway to achieve climate goals.
  • Enabling a Circular Carbon Economy: Captured CO₂ can be reused in processes such as enhanced oil recovery (EOR) or converted into valuable products like fuels, chemicals, and building materials.
  • Energy Transition Support: CCS complements renewable energy by addressing emissions from existing fossil fuel infrastructure during the transition to a low-carbon economy.

CCS and Sapphire Energy’s Mission

At Sapphire Energy, we view CCS as a natural extension of our algae-based technologies. Algae can not only reduce emissions by converting CO₂ into biofuels but also enhance CCS efforts by integrating biological solutions with traditional storage methods. By combining these approaches, we aim to create a robust, scalable model for carbon management.

Challenges and Opportunities

While CCS holds immense promise, it also faces challenges, including high upfront costs, public acceptance, and regulatory hurdles. However, ongoing advancements in technology, increasing government support, and private-sector investment are accelerating its deployment worldwide.

A Vision for the Future

Carbon Capture and Storage is more than a technological solution; it is a key component of a comprehensive strategy to combat climate change. By investing in CCS and advancing its integration with renewable energy and innovative solutions like Sapphire Energy’s algae technologies, we can help build a sustainable, low-carbon future for generations to come.