Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from cement production are often described as hard-to-abate, and carbon capture and (usage) storage (CCS or CCUS) is claimed to be the only major solution. This view is strongly promoted by the cement industry and is frequently said to be endorsed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in its Sixth Assessment Report (AR6). A closer look at AR6, however, shows many ways to cut cement emissions cost-effectively without CCS, some of which are available today or will be soon.
The huge emissions from the steel industry can be virtually eliminated by using hydrogen from green power, or from other electric processes. Carbon capture and storage has not yet been used to decarbonise steelmaking; it is not needed and it is not likely to be a mitigation option.
The EU Innovation Fund is investing annual around 40 billion euros, in addition to other funding, with the stated intention of greening industry. However most of this money will support the existing industrial production of cement, plastics and petrochemicals rather than supporting green alternatives. The majority will go to CCS.
The CO2 in the pioneering Norwegian CCS projects has moved in an unexpected way, says a recent IEEFA study. This raises questions about the feasibility and economy of large-scale CO2 storage.
Greening electricity: Global and EU status and trends.
Wind and solar produced more than 10% of global electricity in 2021, for the first time. They also surpassed nuclear, which fell below 10% for the first time in several decades. Hydro is still the top non-fossil electricity producer, but solar and wind are growing much faster.
