Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU)

Source:  TOI

Context: The Government of India has approved the establishment of five Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) testbeds to drive net zero industrial pathways in hard-to-abate sectors like cement, under a public-private partnership model.

About Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU):

• What is CCU?

• • CCU refers to technologies that capture carbon dioxide (CO₂) from industrial emissions and utilize it either directly or after converting it into value-added products.
  • It is a sub-set of Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS).

• How It Works?
  • CCU comprises three key stages:

• • Capture – CO₂ is separated from emission sources (e.g., flue gas or air).
  • Transport – The captured CO₂ is compressed and transported via pipeline, road, or ship.
  • Utilisation – CO₂ is converted into products like synthetic fuels, urea, concrete aggregates, chemicals, or food-grade CO₂.

• Types of Carbon Capture:

• • Post-combustion: Captures CO₂ after fuel is burned (retrofit-friendly).
  • Pre-combustion: Captures CO₂ before combustion by gasifying fuel (better for new plants).
  • Oxy-fuel combustion: Uses pure oxygen to burn fuel, simplifying CO₂ capture.
  • Direct Air Capture (DAC): Extracts CO₂ from ambient air using sorbents or solvents (high cost, low concentration).

• Features of Indian CCU Testbeds:

• • Five pilot testbeds to be set up in partnership with top academic and industrial institutions:
    • NCCBM + JK Cement (Haryana)
    • IIT Kanpur + JSW Cement
    • IIT Bombay + Dalmia Cement
    • CSIR-IIP + IIT Tirupati + IISc + JSW Cement
    • IIT Madras + BITS Pilani Goa + Ultratech Cement
  • Focus: Translational R&D, CO₂ catalysis, vacuum-based gas separation, and industrial integration.
  • Funding: Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
  • Strategic intent: Combat EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and future-proof Indian industry.

• Limitations of CCU:

• • Limited Market Size: CO₂-based product markets are still small.
  • Energy Intensity: High energy required, especially in DAC.
  • Variable Climate Benefit: Impact depends on source of CO₂, end-product life cycle, and process carbon intensity.
  • Not a Substitute for Mitigation: Best used to complement emissions reduction, not replace it.