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The vital role of CCUS

SLB’s bold approach to a practical and viable carbon abatement solution

Challenge

Closing the emissions gap

Decarbonization across all industry sectors using practical and economical solutions is crucial to reach net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As the gap between net zero ambitions and actual cumulative CO₂ emissions grows, all scenarios are increasingly pivoting toward carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS) as a critical lever to close this gap.

Diagram showing the 15-20% increase each year needed to close the emissions gap with CCUS

Solution

Abating carbon with CCUS

CCUS plays a vital role in carbon abatement as one of the few viable decarbonization mechanisms. But it doesn’t come without its challenges. A new market ecosystem needs to be established to overcome the challenges we face today.

Today, the industry is capturing and storing ~40 million metric tons per year. Carbon capture and sequestration are needed at gigaton scale by 2050 to reach net zero.

The Vital Role of CCUS and SLB's Involvement

SLB's Carbon Solutions team discusses challenges facing the CCUS industry and how we’re poised to ensure your project’s success.

Key elements for scaling up CCUS: common infrastructure, economic incentives, and advanced tech

Isometric diagram showing co2 capture, transport, and storage

Achieving common infrastructure

SLB has been actively involved in CCUS across industries for two decades. Building on our core strengths, we’re able to forge new partnerships across the entire value chain. This means combining the best minds and skillsets—from carbon capture and transport to sequestration—to accelerate decarbonization using large industrial hubs. Through these hubs, emitters can use common transport and sequestration infrastructure. This creates a network that reduces unit costs for all organizations involved and makes CCUS projects more feasible. And using a suite of business models—from technical agreements to joint ventures—we help ensure a successful project.

Economic incentives

The right policies and regulatory frameworks are essential for enabling cost-effective CCUS projects.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in the US provides tax incentives that will give small- to midscale CCUS projects a better chance at becoming economical. In Europe, the revision of the Emissions Trading System (ETS) covers a broader range of sectors and GHG emissions. In Canada, the Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA) allocates multimillion dollars to carbon capture projects. Australia is also seeing significant policy and budgetary support from the federal government.

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Potograph of woman in blue coveralls in a lab holding samples of solvent (SLBHoustonCarbon00003-Edited)

Technological advancement

Unique carbon capture technology

SLB’s carbon capture technology addresses different streams of CO₂ emissions using a unique, versatile nonaqueous solvent to drive down carbon capture costs.