What does the U mean in CCUS?

The U in CCUS stands for Utilisation and refers to the process of re-using the captured carbon emissions to potentially be used in the process of producing plastic, concrete, biofuels and food. Captured carbon is also used in a process called Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) to help extract greater loads from oil and gas reservoirs.

A growing list of potential uses for captured CO₂ includes the enhancement of crop growth inside closed greenhouses; as well as applications in fields to support crop growth. It plays a role in providing pressurised gas for pneumatic pressure tools in the construction and has an expanding presence in the medical sector, particularly in a range of surgeries.

CO2CRC considers that substantial opportunities exist in the production of valuable by-products of the CO₂ Capture process itself, especially with development of integrated or hybrid capture and utilisation processes. While this is currently considered a niche opportunity, CO2CRC considers that it is nevertheless an opportunity that should be considered and that it is one with considerable upside potential (especially when large volumes of CO₂ are being captured prior to sequestration).