Decarbonizing the future: Understanding carbon capture, utilization, and storage methods

Carbon capture refers to the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, or directly at the source of its emissions. The latter employs chemical engineering to design capture systems for industries. Aqueous amine scrubbing makes use of amine based solvents to capture carbon dioxide from flue gas streams. The carbon, once captured, is compressed and redirected for either reutilisation or storage. In enhanced oil recovery, the CO2 is injected into oil and gas reservoirs to increase their extraction. Carbon storage methods work to remove the carbon from the atmosphere, and aid mitigation against carbon emissions from industry, thereby reducing the contribution to global warming and ocean acidification. This paper aims to provide the readers with an understanding of the technologies involved in the above processes.