Carbon capture campaign grows to 14 companies

Three more Houston-area companies have joined a coalition of firms that are exploring carbon capture and storage, or CCS, technology to reduce carbon emissions in the area.

According to a release, Air Liquide, BASF and Shell announced Jan. 20 that they are joining 11 other companies in the effort. The group includes Calpine, Chevron, Dow, ExxonMobil, INEOS, Linde, LyondellBasell, Marathon Petroleum, NRG Energy, Phillips 66 and Valero.

“Large-scale carbon capture and storage in the Houston region will be a cornerstone for the world's energy transition, and these companies' efforts are crucial toward advancing CCS development to achieve broad scale commercial impact," said Charles McConnell, director of University of Houston's Center for Carbon Management in Energy and former assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Energy.

The CCS process involves capturing carbon dioxide from industrial activities instead of letting them be released into the atmosphere, and then storing it in deep underground geologic formations. The CO₂ would be stored in offshore storage sites. The U.S. Gulf Coast can store 500 billion metric tons of CO₂, meaning 130 years of industrial and power generation emissions. CCS is projected to mitigate 15% of global emissions by 2040, according to data analyzed by the International Energy Agency.

The effort in Houston, as well as through other companies in the region, could capture and store up to 50 million metric tons of CO₂ each year by 2030. By 2040 that number could rise to 100 million metric tons. 

Not only is the CCS vital for reducing emissions, it will also help with the economy in Houston by creating new hobs and protecting ones that exist.

The release said installing a CCS in an affordable fashion in Houston will require the support of the government, as well as the industry and the local community. The efforts have gained support all across the region including from Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Harris County Commissioner’s Court, Greater Houston Partnership and the Center for Houston’s Future.