CO2 Capture, a Technology for the Energy Transition

This article presents the issue of CO ₂ capture, its context and challenges, then sets out to describe the main technological solutions enabling the capture of CO ₂ emitted by the world of industry. The energy production and industrial manufacturing sectors are highly dependent on fossil fuels, whether coal, oil or natural gas, and are in fact responsible for very significant atmospheric CO ₂ emissions. Against a backdrop of global warming and the need to limit greenhouse gas emissions, the world economy is gradually turning to decarbonized renewable energy sources. Given the current weight of fossil fuels in the energy supply, the global growth in energy demand and, finally, the time required to deploy alternative energies, the energy transition will necessarily be spread over many years.

The first part of this article summarizes the environmental, societal and economic context that justifies the interest in CO ₂ capture as part of the energy transition. The main principles of CO ₂ capture, combined with geological storage or industrial recovery, are described in a second part. In particular, it is shown how this technological solution meets the objective of reducing CO ₂ emissions from the industrial sector, and a schematic description of the different families of capture technologies is proposed.

The various capture processes are described in greater detail in the third part of the article, both in their commercial versions and in versions currently under development. The advantages and disadvantages of the different processes are also discussed, and associated R&I (Research and Innovation) actions aimed at making these processes more efficient are presented. A review of industrial pilots and demonstrators is provided, highlighting the various players in the field. Finally, a discussion on the prospects for CO ₂ capture deployment is proposed.