Global CCS Institute: More than 100 CCS projects now operating globally as transport and storage networks expand

The Institute’s Global Status of CCS report shows that the number of operational CCS projects has more than quadrupled since 2021. 30 years on from the first major storage project launching at Sleipner, Norway, there are now 113 commercial CCS projects in operation including in sectors like hydrogen, ammonia and fertiliser production, cement, and natural gas processing and LNG. Cumulatively, over 400 million t of CO₂ have been stored underground since 1996, although a substantial expansion in capacity is needed to achieve climate targets. The world is expected to surpass 100 million t of annual operating capture capacity when current construction projects enter service.

The report suggests the industry's most significant shift is not the growth in project numbers alone, but the emergence of the transport networks, storage hubs and commercial frameworks needed to support deployment at scale. Around one in three projects being tracked by the Institute are transport and storage schemes.

The Americas, primarily the United States, continue to lead globally in operating CO₂ capture capacity at 48 million tpy, with rising electricity demand from AI and data centres creating new opportunities for carbon capture in power generation.

Europe’s CCS development pipeline is growing and could reach 141 million tpy if projects proceed as planned. Northern Europe is beginning to demonstrate how a connected cross-border market for CO₂ transport and storage can operate in practice, with new agreements and industrial partnerships connecting emitters with permanent storage across national borders. Recent examples include Yara's ammonia facility in the Netherlands, which captures CO₂ for transport and storage in Norway through Northern Lights.

Canada is also moving beyond individual carbon capture projects to integrated carbon management systems that connect industrial facilities to shared transport corridors and storage hubs. In the past year, this has included a landmark agreement between the Canadian and Albertan governments bringing together carbon pricing, carbon contracts for difference, project approvals, transport infrastructure development and Indigenous participation within a coordinated framework.

Similar signs of growing government commitment and more coordinated deployment across the carbon management value chain are emerging across Asia. China is moving from isolated demonstration projects towards more integrated systems spanning industrial decarbonisation, transport infrastructure and offshore storage. In Asia-Pacific, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore have continued to develop relevant policies and regulations, and India announced material funding to support CCS. However, this policy setting will need strengthening to bring forward the next wave of projects.

Policy development has continued in the Middle East, including the launch of Abu Dhabi’s General Policy on Carbon Capture. In Africa, early-stage CCS activity continues through cross-border collaboration and feasibility studies.

Jarad Daniels, CEO at the Global CCS Institute, said:

“Scaling CCS increasingly depends on systems rather than standalone projects, and it’s encouraging to see evidence of this beginning to happen in this year’s report. Deployment has come a long way over the past 30 years, but we need to see policy, financing and connected infrastructure all working together if we want to go further and faster. This is essential to support investment confidence and continue developing the business case for CCS. With demand for decarbonised materials and electricity ramping up, now is the time to push forward, not pull back.”

The report is available to download here: www.globalccsinstitute.com/global-status-of-ccs/