The International Energy Agency (IEA) has published its 2025 update to the global carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) projects database, accompanied by a commentary on emerging industry patterns.
While 2024 brought little change in overall operational and planned capacity across the CCUS value chain, the report notes that the year was marked by notable milestones that hint at future momentum.
Operational CO2 capture and storage capacity remains just above 50 million metric tons, showing only a slight uptick from the previous year.
Looking toward 2030, the projected capture capacity holds steady at approximately 430 million tons, while announced storage capacity rose by 10%, reaching an estimated 670 million tons.
Natural gas processing continues to dominate the operational landscape, accounting for over 60% of total capture capacity — a continuation of historical trends.
However, this dominance may diminish as upcoming projects increasingly target hydrogen production, direct air capture, and heavy industry. These emerging segments now represent over half of the planned capacity pipeline for 2030.
Despite progress falling short of what is needed for net-zero emissions trajectories, the report says 2024 was a pivotal year for the sector.
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Developers demonstrated increased commitment, with roughly 60% of pipeline capture capacity now either under construction or in advanced development — a rise from the previous year.
The IEA highlights several pioneering initiatives that also broke ground. These include the UK’s first natural gas power station with CCUS, the world’s largest CO2 removal facility in Sweden, and Indonesia’s inaugural large-scale CCUS project.
In a major financial milestone, a UK-based transport and storage project became the first in the CCUS space to secure project-based financing. This signals growing investor confidence, particularly in regions with robust governmental support.
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