Capturing carbon

CCS is a technological process that involves capturing carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, typically from large industrial facilities or power plants reliant on fossil fuels or biomass. This captured CO₂ can be repurposed in various applications or sequestered (stored) in underground geological formations like depleted oil and gas reservoirs or saltwater aquifers. By capturing CO₂ emissions at their source and storing them securely underground, CCS can help mitigate climate change while enabling the continued operation of essential industrial sectors.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) underscores the pivotal part CCS can play in the energy transition. In its Net Zero Roadmap, the agency sees CCS accounting for eight percent of the needed greenhouse emissions reductions by 2030. While CCS has gained significant momentum in recent years, with over 500 projects currently in progress, its development has lagged expectations. To meet global climate targets, according to the IEA, a substantial acceleration in CCS implementations is required.

Decarbonization opportunities

Delivering secure, sustainable and affordable energy for everyone is key to a successful energy transition. CCS can play a vital role in this, particularly for developing economies, aiding them in managing emissions from existing energy sources and industrial processes while shifting towards more sustainable power.

Driving industry innovation and collaboration

ABB’s support for CCS extends across industries and value chains. For example, ABB's commitment to accelerating CCS uptake is evident in the longstanding collaboration with Imperial College London. The partnership has established a pilot plant equipped with over 250 ABB instruments and sensors to advance carbon capture technology research. This one-of-a-kind facility has provided hands-on experience to more than 4,500 students since its inception in 2012, fostering the development of the next generation of engineers and scientists focused on the energy transition.

Software innovation will play a central role in CCS as well. Here, ABB and Pace CCS have joined forces to deliver a solution that reduces the cost of integrating CCS into new and existing industrial operations. The partnership uses digital twin technology, which provides a virtual replica of a real, physical process or facility.

The ABB CCS 360 digital twin solution can track the highly complex lifecycle of capturing, transporting and storing CO₂ molecules. This virtualization helps make CCS technology more accessible for industry by decreasing upfront capital costs associated with entering this field. 

ABB is enabling the energy transition in hard-to-abate sectors through a partnership with Captimise, a leading cleantech company, to develop and implement innovative solutions to reduce carbon emissions in cement production processes. In line with the United Kingdom’s ambitious goals to reduce industrial carbon dioxide emissions, the partnership aims to make CCS more accessible and cost-effective. By combining ABB's expertise in electrification, automation and digitalization with Captimise's CCS project experience, the collaboration provides a complete approach for identifying and implementing tailored CCS solutions for the cement sector, one of the biggest sources of greenhouse gases.

An important link in the CCS value chain is transporting captured CO₂. ABB's technology will be a critical component of the world's first open CO₂ transport and storage infrastructure, the Northern Lights project, which aims to capture and store carbon dioxide emissions from industrial facilities in Europe.