DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA — Congress' recently passed budget bill has incentives to support carbon capture and storage. But what exactly is it?
The CCS Association reports that fossil fuels supply most of the world's energy needs, but harnessing them emits large quantities of carbon dioxide that can cause irreversible environmental damage.
One solution to combat this is carbon capture and storage, which works by first separating carbon dioxide from other gases at industrial facilities.
The captured CO2 is transported using underground pipelines or via ships to suitable storage sites.
It is then injected into rock formations several kilometers below the surface of the Earth, where pressure and temperature conditions keep it in a liquid state.
CCS can capture up to 90% of carbon emissions from fossil fuels, but experts believe it's most effective alongside other strategies, such as improving energy efficiency and switching to renewable energy.