CCUS technology: ensuring ‘clean’ products

India has recently revised its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets, for achieving 50% of its total installed capacity from non-fossil-based energy sources, 45% reduction in emission intensity by 2030 and eventually achieving Net Zero by 2070.

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In order to achieve decarbonisation in the high polluting industrial sectors like the steel, cement, oil, gas, petrochemicals, chemicals and fertilisers, the Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) technology would play an important role. 

A study report by NITI Aayog, titled ‘Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage Policy Framework and its Deployment Mechanism in India’ noted that Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS) is key to ensuring sustainable development and growth in India. The report states that CCUS could enable conversion of the captured CO2 to different value-added products like green urea, food and beverage form application, building materials (concrete and aggregates), chemicals (methanol and ethanol), polymers (including bio-plastics) and enhanced oil recovery (EOR). Such value-added products have wide market opportunities in India.

Vice Chairman, Niti Aayog Suman Bery said, “CCUS can enable the production of clean products while still utilizing our rich endowments of coal, reducing imports and thus leading to an Atmanirbhar Indian economy”.