CRBON CAPTURE AND UTILISATION (CCU)
1. Context
Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) refers to a set of technologies that capture carbon dioxide emissions from industrial sources or directly from the air and convert them into useful products. This process removes carbon from the atmosphere and puts it into the economy as inputs for fuels, chemicals, building materials, or polymers. Unlike carbon capture and storage, where captured CO₂ is permanently stored underground rather than reused, CCU uses up the captured carbon.
2. What is Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU)?
- Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) is an approach to climate mitigation that focuses on treating carbon dioxide not merely as a waste product, but as a resource.
- In the context of rising global temperatures and increasing industrial emissions, CCU represents an attempt to balance economic development with environmental responsibility.
- When fossil fuels such as coal, oil, or natural gas are burned in power plants or used in industries like cement and steel manufacturing, large quantities of carbon dioxide (CO₂) are released into the atmosphere.
- This CO₂ traps heat and contributes to global warming. Carbon Capture and Utilisation seeks to intervene in this process. Instead of allowing the carbon dioxide to escape into the air, it is captured at the source of emission through specialized technologies.
- These technologies separate CO₂ from other gases produced during combustion or industrial processes.
- Once captured, the carbon dioxide is compressed and transported to facilities where it can be put to productive use. This is the key difference between CCU and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS).
- While CCS focuses on storing the captured carbon dioxide deep underground in geological formations to prevent its release, CCU aims to convert the captured CO₂ into valuable products.
- The utilisation aspect of CCU can take many forms. Carbon dioxide can be used to manufacture chemicals such as methanol and urea, which are widely used in fertilisers and industry.
- It can also be converted into synthetic fuels, building materials like carbon-infused concrete, and even used in the production of carbonated beverages. In some cases, CO₂ is injected into oil fields to enhance oil recovery.
- By turning emissions into economically useful goods, CCU attempts to create a circular carbon economy, where carbon is reused instead of continuously extracted and emitted.
- The importance of CCU becomes particularly relevant for countries that rely heavily on fossil fuels for energy and industrial growth.
- For example, India, which has significant coal-based power generation, is exploring CCU as part of its broader climate strategy, with policy discussions supported by institutions such as NITI Aayog. For developing economies, CCU offers a transitional pathway: it allows industries to continue operating while reducing their carbon footprint.
- However, CCU is not without challenges. Capturing carbon dioxide requires substantial energy and investment. In some cases, the process itself can be energy-intensive, which may reduce the overall environmental benefit unless powered by renewable energy.
- Moreover, the long-term climate impact depends on how permanently the carbon is locked into products. If CO₂ is used to produce fuels that are later burned, it eventually returns to the atmosphere.
3. Why does India need CCU?
- India needs Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) because of the unique structure of its economy, energy system, and development priorities.
- Unlike many developed countries that have already industrialised and are now transitioning away from fossil fuels, India is still in a growth phase where energy demand, infrastructure expansion, and industrial production are rapidly increasing.
- This creates a complex challenge: how to grow economically while reducing carbon emissions.
- One of the primary reasons India needs CCU is its continued dependence on coal. A large portion of India’s electricity generation comes from coal-based thermal power plants.
- While renewable energy capacity is expanding significantly, coal remains critical for ensuring energy security and meeting base-load power requirements. Completely phasing out coal in the short term is neither economically nor socially feasible.
- CCU provides a transitional solution by capturing carbon emissions from these plants and converting them into useful products, thereby reducing the overall carbon footprint without abruptly disrupting energy supply.
- Another important factor is the nature of India’s industrial emissions. Sectors such as cement, steel, fertilisers, and petrochemicals are considered “hard-to-abate” sectors because their production processes inherently generate carbon dioxide.
- For example, cement manufacturing releases CO₂ not only from fuel combustion but also from chemical reactions in limestone processing.
- In such sectors, switching to renewable energy alone cannot eliminate emissions. CCU offers a technological pathway to manage these unavoidable emissions.
- India’s climate commitments also make CCU strategically important. Under the Paris Agreement, India has pledged to reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP and achieve net-zero emissions by 2070.
- Achieving this target while maintaining high economic growth will require a combination of renewable energy expansion, energy efficiency improvements, green hydrogen, and carbon management technologies like CCU.
- Institutions such as NITI Aayog have recognised CCU as part of India’s long-term decarbonisation strategy.
- Economic considerations further strengthen the case for CCU. By converting captured carbon into products such as methanol, synthetic fuels, construction materials, and chemicals, India can create new industries and green jobs.
- This supports the vision of a circular carbon economy, where waste emissions become raw materials for other sectors. For a country aiming to boost manufacturing under initiatives like Make in India, CCU can align environmental sustainability with industrial competitiveness
4. Where does India Stand today ?
- India has started promoting Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) by extending research support through the Department of Science and Technology, which has developed a dedicated roadmap to guide research and development in this field.
- Additionally, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has released a draft 2030 roadmap for Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS), outlining potential projects where these technologies can be implemented.
- In the private sector, Ambuja Cements, part of the Adani Group, is collaborating with IIT Bombay on an Indo-Swedish pilot initiative aimed at converting captured carbon dioxide into fuels and other value-added materials.
- Similarly, JK Cement is engaged in developing a CCU demonstration facility focused on capturing CO₂ for use in products such as lightweight concrete blocks and olefins.
- Expanding beyond the cement industry, Organic Recycling Systems Limited (ORSL) is spearheading India’s first pilot-scale Bio-CCU platform, which transforms carbon dioxide derived from biogas streams into bio-alcohols and specialised chemical products
5. Global Scenario
- The European Union’s Bioeconomy Strategy and its Circular Economy Action Plan clearly endorse CCU as an approach to transform carbon dioxide into raw materials for fuels, chemicals, and other industrial products, aligning the technology with broader sustainability and circular economy objectives.
- In the industrial sector, ArcelorMittal and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. have partnered with the climate technology firm D-CRBN to test an innovative process at ArcelorMittal’s facility in Ghent, Belgium.
- This initiative focuses on converting captured CO₂ into carbon monoxide, which can then be reused in steelmaking and chemical manufacturing.
- In the United States, the expansion of CCU technologies is supported through a mix of fiscal incentives, including tax credits and government funding, especially for projects producing fuels and chemicals derived from carbon dioxide.
- Meanwhile, in the United Arab Emirates, the Al Reyadah project and proposed CO₂-to-chemicals clusters are integrating CCU solutions with green hydrogen to advance low-carbon industrial development
6. Way Forward
The primary challenge in expanding CCU in India relates to economic viability. The processes involved in capturing, refining, and converting carbon dioxide demand significant energy and financial investment. In the absence of supportive policy measures or incentives, products manufactured using captured CO₂ may find it difficult to compete with conventional, fossil-fuel-based alternatives that are currently more affordable.
Another major concern is the state of infrastructure. Effective deployment of CCU depends on the presence of well-developed industrial clusters, efficient systems for transporting captured CO₂, and seamless integration with downstream manufacturing units. However, such integrated ecosystems are not uniformly available across India’s industrial landscape.
In addition, the lack of well-defined regulatory standards, certification mechanisms, and stable market signals generates uncertainty for investors. This uncertainty can dampen private sector participation and restrict market demand for products derived from captured carbon.
That said, India has made encouraging progress by formulating strategic roadmaps for the advancement of CCU technologies. The successful and timely implementation of these plans will be crucial in ensuring that CCU contributes meaningfully to the country’s broader climate and industrial objectives
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For Prelims: Carbon Capturing, COP21, Paris Agreement, carbon cycle
For Mains:
1. What is Carbon farming? discuss the effective techniques within carbon farming for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and explain the challenges that exist in implementing them, particularly in developing countries like India. (250 Words)
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Previous Year Questions
1. With reference to carbon nanotubes, consider the following statements (UPSC 2020)
1. They can be used as carriers of drugs and antigens in the human body.
2. They can be made into artificial blood capillaries for an injured part of the human body.
3. They can be used in biochemical sensors.
4. Carbon nanotubes are biodegradable.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
A. 1 and 2 only B. 2, 3 and 4 only C. 1, 3 and 4 only D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
2. With reference to the recent developments in science, which one of the following statements is not correct? (UPSC 2019)
A. Functional chromosomes can be created by joining segments of DNA taken from cells of different species.
B. Pieces of artificial functional DNA can be created in laboratories.
C. A piece of DNA taken out from an animal cell can be made to replicate outside a living cell in a laboratory.
D. Cells taken out from plants and animals can be made to undergo cell division in laboratory petri dishes
3. Consider the following statements (upsc 2016)
1. The Sustainable Development Goals were first proposed in 1972 by a global think tank called the 'Club of Rome
2. Sustainable Development goals has to be achieved by the year 2030
Which of the statements given above is/ are correct
A. 1 Only B. 2 Only C. Both 1 and 2 D. Neither 1 Nor 2
4. LPG stands for (MPSC 2017)
A. Liquidity, Profitability and Growth
B. Liberalisation, Privatisation and Growth
C. Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalisation
D.None of the above
5. Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana was launched (RRC Group D 2018)
A. July 2017 B. January 2018 C. May 2014 D. May 2016
6. In the context of WHO Air Quality Guidelines, consider the following statements: (UPSC 2022)
1. The 24-hour mean of PM2.5 should not exceed 15 μg/m³ and annual mean of PM2.5 should not exceed 5 μg/m³.
2. In a year, the highest levels of ozone pollution occur during the periods of inclement weather.
3. PM10 can penetrate the lung barrier and enter the bloodstream.
4. Excessive ozone in the air can trigger asthma.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
A. 1, 3 and 4 B. 1 and 4 only C. 2, 3 and 4 D. 1 and 2 only
Answers: 1-C, 2-A, 3-B, 4-C, 5-D, 6-B
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Source: The Hindu
