Technology Developments in CO₂ Storage + Carbon Hubs and Clusters Systems
Wood has joined forces with 17 firms including Aramco, Equinor, Shell, and TotalEnergies to develop new guidelines for CO₂ specifications, addressing impurity management across the value chain.
In Norway, the Northern Lights project by Equinor, Shell and TotalEnergies has completed its infrastructure and is now ready for commissioning, offering what may become the world’s first cross-border CO₂ transport and storage service.
The Port of Rotterdam is building the Netherlands’ first CCS plant as part of a wider ambition to become a major CCS hub using North Sea storage reservoirs.
Energean's subsidiary Enearth plans to convert the Prinos oil field in northern Greece into a CO₂ storage site, targeting 1 million tonnes annual capacity by 2026.
Major Projects Around the World
In South Australia, the Moomba CCS project by Santos and Beach Energy has commenced operations, storing CO₂ from the Moomba gas plant in depleted reservoirs, with a 1.7 million tonne per year capacity.
J-Power has teamed up with Australian partners to explore new CCS opportunities in the region, reinforcing Australia’s growing role in carbon storage innovation.
In the Gulf region, ADNOC is expanding its CCS footprint, citing favourable geology and industrial proximity as key advantages.
In the United States, ExxonMobil has acquired the country’s largest offshore CO₂ storage site—271,000 acres in Texas waters—marking a significant step in U.S. carbon storage capacity.
Policy & Markets
The UK government has approved two major CCS projects in Merseyside and Teesside, committing nearly £22 billion over 25 years, with the aim of supporting regional decarbonisation.
Concerns have emerged in Scotland that the Acorn facility at St Fergus may be sidelined from future funding rounds, with investment prioritised for English clusters.
In Germany, the Advisory Council on the Environment recommends restricting CCS to sectors with unavoidable emissions, warning that broader use could undermine decarbonisation incentives.
Startups & Pilots
South Africa has launched its first CCUS research facility, led by the Department of Science and Innovation and the Council for Geoscience—marking a first step toward building regional CCS capacity.
2025 Asia Pacific Forum on Carbon Capture and Storage & Member Meeting

Canada's National CCUS Convention

Wood Mackenzie Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) Conference

Carbon Capture Technology Expo Europe 2025

Carbon Capture Technology Expo Europe 2025

Episode 3 - Unpacking Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) - Energy Futures Lab - Imperial College London
Dr. Nadine Moustafa provides an overview of carbon capture and storage (CCS) as a critical tool in decarbonizing heavy industry, explaining that CCS captures CO2 emissions from industrial sources, compresses, transports, and stores them underground. While effective, the technology requires efficiency improvements, particularly in capturing the last few emission percentages - a costly challenge. Dr. Moustafa distinguishes CCS from Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR), with the former focusing on industrial emissions and the latter on atmospheric CO2 removal. She highlights the UK's leadership in CCS, emphasizing its infrastructure advantages and goals to develop Net Zero industrial clusters. Financial incentives like carbon taxes are necessary to scale CCS, and diverse energy strategies will be crucial for a sustainable transition. Her research on solvent-based CO2 capture aims to reduce costs and improve efficacy, underscoring the need for global collaboration among industry, academia, and policymakers to scale CCS worldwide.
OIES Podcast - Cross-Border CO2 Transport - Oxford Institute for Energy Studies
In this podcast, Hasan Muslemani and Nnaziri Ihijerika discuss Ihijerika's research on regulatory frameworks for cross-border CO2 transport between the UK and the EU, focusing on how carbon capture and storage (CCS) can support industrial decarbonization. Despite CCS's technical feasibility, its adoption faces public skepticism and regulatory challenges. Ihijerika highlights the London Protocol's restriction on cross-border CO2 transport, as it classifies CO2 as waste, creating obstacles for countries like Germany, which has limited storage options. He also notes the complications arising from separate Emission Trading Systems in the EU and UK post-Brexit, which complicate mutual CO2 allowance recognition. Globally, similar challenges are emerging, particularly in Southeast Asia, where densely industrialized nations may need to collaborate on storage solutions. Ihijerika underscores CCS as a crucial, ready-to-deploy technology for reducing industrial emissions, especially in heavy industries, urging faster action to meet net-zero goals and improve cost-efficiency in carbon reduction efforts.
Addressing the Challenges of Large Scale Carbon Capture, Storage and Utilization
Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology is central to tackling the challenges of global CO2 emissions as the world transitions towards renewable energy. This video highlights CCS's critical role in reducing emissions from energy-intensive industries, including refining, steel, and cement. Featuring insights from Dr. Harisinh Parmar, the presentation explores both the technical processes involved and the economic and logistical challenges CCS faces at scale. Topics include the different approaches to CO2 capture, the essential contributions of geoscience and reservoir engineering, and the potential of CCS to mitigate emissions on a global scale by 2050. Viewers gain valuable knowledge on advancing towards a sustainable, low-carbon future.
Carbon Capture and Storage Lecture
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is presented as an essential solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and addressing elevated CO2 levels. Lynn Orr, a professor of Petroleum Engineering at Stanford University, explains CCS as a method of capturing CO2 from various sources, compressing it, and transporting it to underground storage. He discusses CO2 sources like refining operations and the challenges of separating CO2 from other gases, with sedimentary rock as a potential storage medium. While CCS is costly, Orr emphasises its scalability and feasibility with incentives and careful management. Despite limitations, CCS is proposed as a crucial part of a comprehensive strategy for achieving significant emissions reductions.
Geological CO2 storage - real, ready, rapid enough?
Geological CO2 storage is positioned as a vital component in the UK's journey to Net Zero emissions by 2050. This roundtable gathers experts from organisations including the Carbon Capture and Storage Association, Climate Change Committee, and North Sea Transition Authority to discuss the current status and future prospects of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). Topics include the importance of government policies, subsidies, and industrial collaboration in accelerating CCS deployment. The panel also explores bioenergy, direct air capture technologies, and the oil and gas industry's role in emissions reduction. Emphasising the need for rapid progress, they outline challenges, including project development timelines and the balancing act between energy security and environmental commitments.
Regional screening of saline aquifers in the Malay Basin for CO2 storage
This paper explores a new methodology using value of information to enhance CO2 storage monitoring. It examines how seismic and electromagnetic data can improve safety and cost-effectiveness in managing CO2 leakage risk by adjusting monitoring schedules. Through simulations inspired by the Smeaheia field in Norway, the methodology assesses data collection timing and its impact on understanding the CO2 plume location. Compared to fixed monitoring intervals, this dynamic, sequential approach provides more precise, timely data for better decision-making in geological CO2 storage.
Modelling Geological Heterogeneities in a Deep Saline Aquifer for Co2 Storage: Insights from the Paris Basin (France)
This paper examines a deep saline aquifer in the Paris Basin for CO2 storage. Using 3D modelling in the Grandpuits sector, researchers assessed geological features like porosity, permeability, and facies within the Jurassic carbonate reservoir. A thick marly seal caps the aquifer, adding containment security. Analyses reveal variations in reservoir quality, with promising storage zones in the southwest. The study uses advanced simulations to model reservoir properties, providing a basis for efficient CO2 storage assessment and computational optimisation.