CCUS in India: bridging the gap between action and ambition

Abstract

India has committed to reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2070. While targets for CO2 capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies are not explicitly set, the Government of India’s agencies and public-sector enterprises have mentioned CCUS approaches conditionally subject to availability of feasible technology and financing. This paper aims to examine the gap between the current status of CCUS in India and the levels of deployment as projected by modeling exercises. It takes a Talanoa dialogue approach to answer the following questions on CCUS perspective in India: where are we right now, where do we need to be, and how do we get there. The current status of CO2 capture in India is at the pilot/demonstration stage, with the chemicals and steel sectors, being the most advanced. Emergence of the methanol economy as a key avenue for CO2 utilization may be seen at a large-scale. Geologic CO2 storage is at an advanced planning stage via enhanced oil recovery, and will likely be targeted over this decade. From the current and planned stage, India would likely need 400–800 Mt-CO2/year by 2050 to meet its share of the 1.5 °C carbon budget. We suggest several priority research directions for technology development across the CCUS value chain.