Carbon capture and sequestration potential in India: A comprehensive review

Abstract

Concerns due to anthropogenically forced climate change owing to emissions of CO2 are now well accepted and have resulted in several initiatives to reduce CO2 emissions. The U.N. panel (IPCC) in its latest report indicated that to contain warming at 1.5 °C, manmade global net CO2 emissions would need to fall by about 45 % by 2030 from 2010 levels and reach ‘net zero’ by 2050. Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology is a process of capturing waste CO2 from large point sources, such as fossil fuel stations, so that it will not enter the atmosphere. CCS is seen a crucial climate protection technology for coal-rich countries like India having potential in massively reducing CO2 emission as compared to any other existing technology. As third largest producer of coal and fourth largest greenhouse gas (GHG) emitter, India’s total emissions are 7% of global emissions and is increasing at 4.5% per annum. India’s current and expected future emissions are sufficiently massive to have an adverse effect on global mitigation efforts. The IPCC studied that without CCS, the price of achieving long-run climate goals is almost 140% more expensive. However, India has been taking a cautious approach towards CCS technology due to various factors. The paper discusses on the challenges of CCS in India and a roadmap for the successful implementation of CCS in India.