Global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from industrial processes are a noteworthy contributor to the overall total, accounting for approximately 9 billion metric tons out of the 36 billion metric tons emitted globally every year according to the projections set forth by the International Energy Agency (IEA). This highlights the significant role of industrial emissions, comprising nearly 25% of the total CO2 emissions.
In approaching a net-zero emission system, diverse technologies play a pivotal role. Among them, Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) stands out as a crucial solution. Currently, around 40 commercial CCUS facilities are operational, with over 500 projects in various stages of development. To emphasize the profound impact of CCUS on the energy transition, it’s vital to point out that the International Energy Agency (IEA) strongly advocates for the essential integration of CCUS to attain carbon neutrality by 2050. This underscores that advancing our net-zero target from 2070 to 2050 would necessitate roughly a 50% surge in CCUS adoption.
The Versatility of CCUS Technologies
CCUS is of paramount importance in mitigating climate change due to its diverse applications and key contributions to industries such as energy production, manufacturing, and transportation.
- Emissions from Existing Infrastructure: CCUS can be retrofitted into power and industrial plants, potentially preventing the release of 600 billion tonnes of CO2 over the next five decades, equivalent to 17 years of current annual emissions (estimates based on IEA reports).
- Addressing Hard-to-Abate Sectors: Heavy industries, responsible for nearly 25% of global CO2 emissions, turn to CCUS as a solution. It significantly cuts emissions from cement, steel, pulp, glass, and waste-to-energy plants. Additionally, it supports the synthetic fuels supply chain, especially for long-distance transport like aviation (SAF). CCUS also plays a crucial role in Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR), amplifying its impact on emissions reduction and energy sustainability.
- Blue Hydrogen Production: CCUS enables scalable production of carbon-neutral hydrogen, meeting increasing demand in transport, industry, and buildings. Blue hydrogen is versatile, offering solutions for sectors that are challenging to electrify and serving as a crucial component in decarbonization efforts across multiple industries.
Our Commitment to the Energy Transition
At Giammarco-Vetrocoke, we actively collaborate with industry leaders in various key sectors, including glass, steel, cement, pulp, and waste-to-energy. We firmly believe that the pursuit of the optimal technological solution is best achieved through inter-company cooperation. Consequently, we offer our extensive experience and know-how, working hand in hand with our partners to further enhance and develop our technological proposals. This is because the challenge we are facing demands the utmost effort and engagement from all companies possessing the necessary expertise to address the energy transition.
Our technologies are designed to achieve exceptional outcomes. Through our process engineering solutions, we have the capability to capture more than 90% of CO2 emissions from flue gases, resulting in a substantial reduction in the environmental footprint of combustion processes. Furthermore, our methods yield an impressive CO2 purity exceeding 99.5% in the captured stream, guaranteeing top-tier quality and adherence to industry benchmarks.
Currently, we have successfully executed and are actively engaged in 35 CCUS projects, showcasing both our extensive proficiency in the field and our dedication to the energy transition.