Carbon Capture and Storage Explained

What is carbon capture and storage (CCS)?

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a process by which carbon dioxide emissions from industrial processes are captured before they enter the atmosphere. They can then be transported for permanent and safe storage deep underground, often in geological reservoirs that have previously held oil or gas deposits. Carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) involves similar processes, except the captured emissions are instead put to further industrial use, such as the creation of concrete products.

Image courtesy of Global CCS Institute.

Is CCS a proven technology?

The concept of carbon capture has been around for about 100 years. Carbon capture and storage has been in use in the United States since the early 1970s, mainly for enhanced oil recovery. In 1996, CCS started to be used for the first time as a decarbonisation technology, through the Sleipner natural gas project off the coast of Norway.

The success of Sleipner and other major CCS projects around the world shows that CO2 emissions can be captured and stored, safely and securely.

Why is the development of CCS so important?

Both the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have identified CCS as a technology that will be critical to the world achieving its net zero targets. The IEA has estimated CCS could mitigate 7.6 billion metric tonnes of CO2 annually by 2050.

CCS allows a range of industries – including power generation and cement and steel manufacturing – to maintain operations that are essential to everyday life while also significantly reducing their emissions profiles.

Video courtesy of ExxonMobil.

Is CCS particularly vital for Asia’s future?

Yes, it is. Asia is already home to more than half the world’s people and its emerging economies will drive significant regional growth in energy demand over the next few decades.

CCS will help nations across Asia maintain energy security while also supporting continued operations of the region’s globally relevant industrial centres. By 2050, 60 per cent of global emissions reduction from CCS could come from the APAC region, constituting up to 3 gigatonnes of CO2 per annum.

Is CCS just another way to keep gas-fired power going in Asia?

Natural gas is crucial to Asia’s energy future, as an always-available source of baseload power that will enable nations to reduce their use of high-emitting coal while maintaining energy security. Gas-fired generation with CCS will further reduce emissions as countries continue to invest in renewable energy, while also investigating the potential of low-carbon fuels such as ammonia and hydrogen.

However, as mentioned, CCS also provides hard-to-abate industries – like steel, cement, chemical and fertiliser manufacturing – with the opportunity to capture emissions at a point source and achieve decarbonisation that otherwise wouldn’t be possible without a change to the basic processes they use. Rather than extending the life of fossil fuels, CCS is vital to decarbonise heavy industry.

Are there operational CCS projects in Asia Pacific?

The Gorgon Gas Project in Western Australia, operated by ANGEA member Chevron, is one of the largest CCS facilities in the world. Since becoming operational in 2019, it has injected more than 11 million tonnes of CO2e into sandstone formations two kilometres underground. Over the project’s 40-year lifespan, more than 100 million tonnes of CO2 is expected to be mitigated. While there have been initial technical challenges, they are expected to be resolvable and allow the project to reach its design capacity.

Also in Australia, the Moomba CCS project launched successful in late 2024. Located in the remote South Australian desert, Moomba stored more than 1.3 million tonnes of emissions in its first year and will have the capacity to store up to an initial 1.7 million tonnes of CO2e per annum.

Moomba and Gorgon are two of the 23 operational projects in Asia Pacific referenced by the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute in its 2025 Status of CCS report. China accounts for 20 of the operational projects. In a sign of the importance of CCS projects to Asia’s future, the report lists another 10 projects as being under construction in the region, with a further 15 in development.

What are some of the challenges for CCS in Asia?

Globally, while CCS is proven as a technology, there is still development required to ensure it can be economically viable at the scale at which it will be needed.

In terms of challenges that are more specific to Asia, both geography and geology feature. Several nations that will be major users of CCS – notably, Japan, South Korea and Singapore – have limited potential for storage. Because of this, their emissions will need to be captured and transported for storage elsewhere, in places with suitable geology such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Australia. Differing policy environments in different countries create complexities that ANGEA has worked to identify and address through the Accelerating Cross-Border CCS in Asia Pacific Study. 

The first-of-its-kind framework developed through the study provides a framework that governments can use as they progress the bilateral agreements that will be required to support cross-border CCS projects.

How are nations in Asia approaching CCS?

Japan, South Korea and Singapore are all progressing future cross-border CCS projects. This includes a variety of agreements to explore and advance collaborations with partners in Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia. Indonesia and Malaysia have been particularly active around developing CCS, which they view as being essential to not only domestic decarbonisation but also economic opportunities that would be opened by becoming storage hubs.

As mentioned, 20 of the 23 operational CCS projects in Asia are in China Another 7 projects in China are in development or under construction. China’s CCS activities span a range of industries, including power generation, gas processing and chemical and iron/steel manufacturing.

What is ANGEA’s role with CCS?

ANGEA and its member companies are working together to support the development of CCS capabilities across Asia. Our members are at the forefront of global efforts to design and implement the most efficient and cost-effective CCS solutions, and many of them have been using the technology for decades.

In late 2023, ANGEA entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Global CCS Institute to advance policy development, advocacy and education for CCS technology in the Asia Pacific.

The Accelerating Cross-Border CCS in Asia Pacific study is a priority project for ANGEA and its members, one which can support Asia to realise its full CCS potential.