It’s being touted by governments and fossil fuel giants as the silver bullet for climate change, a technological miracle that will allow us to keep burning fuels while still hitting net zero. But a sobering reality check reveals that Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is proving to be a spectacularly expensive and underperforming failure.
The Grand Promise vs. The Grim Reality
Promoted as a essential 'get-out-of-jail-free' card for the energy sector, CCS technology is designed to trap carbon dioxide emissions at source and store them underground. The UK government has bet heavily on this unproven horse, pledging billions to develop CCS clusters. However, the technology is nowhere near delivering on its grand promises.
Why CCS Isn't Working
The core problems are threefold:
- Prohibitive Costs: CCS is astronomically expensive to build and run, requiring massive public subsidies to be even remotely viable for companies.
- Technical Underperformance: Facilities worldwide are consistently failing to capture the amount of carbon dioxide they promised. Many operate far below capacity, rendering them ineffective.
- The 'Carbon Loophole': Critics argue CCS is primarily a PR tool for the fossil fuel industry, creating a green veneer while allowing business-as-usual pollution to continue.
A Dangerous Distraction
Environmental scientists are raising the alarm that the focus on CCS is a dangerous distraction. The immense investment and political capital being poured into this flawed technology is diverting crucial funding and attention away from proven, cheaper, and faster renewable solutions like wind, solar, and energy efficiency.
The UK's High-Stakes Gamble
With several proposed CCS projects planned for sites around the UK, the nation is at a climate crossroads. Continuing to gamble on this failing technology risks locking the country into a high-carbon future and missing its legally binding net zero targets. The evidence is clear: relying on carbon capture is a risky strategy that is simply not paying off.
