Carbon capture, removal and storage: Technologies

The technologies required to capture, remove and store carbon are already well known. Plans for CCS, for example at cement plants or waste incineration plants, are well advanced in Europe. Negative emission technologies (NETs) may be plant-based (e.g. wood utilisation) or technology-based (e.g. direct carbon air filters). However, the solutions are not yet available on the scale required to protect the climate.

There are two methods for capturing, removing and storing carbon: carbon capture and storage, in which CO₂ produced when fossil fuels are burnt or in other processes is removed and stored, thereby reducing emissions; and negative emission technologies (NETs), which permanently remove CO2 from the atmosphere. NETs include both technical and plant-based approaches. A Federal Council report published in September 2020 provides a systematic overview of the methods known today. These differ in terms of potential, costs, energy requirements and the length of time carbon can be stored. Transporting CO₂ and storing it in Switzerland or abroad requires new infrastructure, such as pipelines and underground storage facilities.

Research and innovation

At present, it is mainly the lack of investment security for investors rather than technological hurdles that hinders the widespread application of CCS and NETs. Nevertheless, research and innovation projects play an important role in driving forward CCS and NETs on the scale required. For example, the federally funded DemoUpCARMA project has demonstrated and optimised the cross-border transport of CO_2, underground mineralisation (in Iceland) and storage in concrete. This pioneering project will provide important information about feasibility, energy and environmental performance and scaling issues.