Q7. What is Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS)? What is the potential role of CCUS in tackling climate change?
Possible Introductions
Definitional framing:
Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) is a suite of technologies that capture CO₂ emissions from power plants and industries, store it underground, or convert it into useful products. It is recognised globally as a crucial pathway for climate change mitigation.
Contextual framing (India):
As India remains dependent on coal for over 50% of its electricity, CCUS allows the country to pursue economic growth while reducing emissions, thus reconciling development needs with climate commitments under the Paris Agreement.
Current affairs framing:
NITI Aayog’s 2022 CCUS report identified it as an essential tool to achieve India’s net zero by 2070. In May 2025, the launch of five CCU testbeds in the cement sector reflected India’s push to decarbonise “hard-to-abate” industries.
Directive Analysis
“What is” → requires definition and functioning of CCUS.
“Potential role” → requires linking CCUS explicitly to climate change mitigation: reducing emissions, enabling net zero, negative emissions, sectoral decarbonisation.
Body of the Answer
1. What is CCUS and How it Works
CCUS captures CO₂ from large point sources, transports it, and either permanently stores it in geological formations or utilises it in products. By preventing CO₂ release, CCUS directly reduces greenhouse gas concentrations.
X-Factor: It is one of the few technologies capable of delivering negative emissions when combined with bioenergy (BECCS) or direct air capture.
2. Role in Tackling Climate Change
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- Mitigating Industrial Emissions: Steel, cement, and fertilisers contribute heavily to India’s CO₂ emissions. CCUS allows these “hard-to-abate” sectors to continue operating while lowering their carbon footprint.
- Complementing Renewables: While solar and wind reduce emissions from power, CCUS ensures low-carbon backup for coal and gas during the transition.
- Enabling Net Zero Pathways: According to the IEA, CCUS could deliver ~15% of global emission reductions by 2050. For India, it is critical to meet its 2070 net zero goal while sustaining growth.
- Enabling negative emissions: When combined with bioenergy (BECCS) or Direct Air Capture (DAC), CCUS can remove more carbon dioxide.
- Supporting clean hydrogen production: “Blue hydrogen,” produced from natural gas with CCUS, is a cost-effective way to develop a hydrogen economy.
- Creating economic value: CCU provides an opportunity to create value from a waste product, promoting sustainability.
- Utilisation for Circular Economy: Captured carbon can be converted into concrete blocks, green urea, methanol, ethanol, polymers, and bio-plastics.
X-Factor: Cement Sector Case: The 2025 CCU testbeds in cement plants pioneer pathways to cut one of India’s most emission-intensive industries.
3. Global and Indian Experience
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- Countries like the USA, Canada, Norway, and Brazil already run large-scale CCUS projects.
- India uses it in a limited way (e.g., urea production), but scaling requires institutional mechanisms, international technology transfer, funding through green bonds, and domestic R&D.
Possible Conclusions
Future-oriented:
CCUS is not a silver bullet but a critical climate stabilisation tool, complementing renewables and hydrogen in India’s and the world’s net zero journey.
Policy-oriented:
With strong policy support, financing, and global cooperation, CCUS can help the world pursue industrial growth while adhering to Paris Agreement targets.
Philosophical:
By converting emissions into resources, CCUS symbolises humanity’s resolve to not just limit harm but actively reverse the trajectory of climate change.
Diagram Suggestion
Flowchart: Emissions → Capture → Transport → (Storage in geological formations / Utilisation in products) → Reduced atmospheric CO₂.
Map of India: Potential storage basins (Cambay, Krishna-Godavari, Vindhyan) + Cement CCU clusters (2025).
