Carbon Capture in the Digital Age: Scaling CCUS with Smart Solutions

Introduction: The Role of CCUS

Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) has become one of the most debated and essential technologies in the global race to net zero. While renewable energy and electrification can decarbonize much of the economy, certain industries such as cement, steel, chemicals, and power generation are structurally dependent on fossil fuel processes that are extremely hard to eliminate. For these “hard-to-abate” sectors, CCUS offers a pathway to cut emissions at the source while also enabling carbon removal at scale.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that CCUS capacity must expand more than 30-fold by 2030 if the world is to remain on track with net-zero ambitions. Yet despite surging interest, the market remains nascent and faces significant barriers. This is where digital solutions can play a transformative role: helping CCUS scale more quickly, operate more efficiently, and build trust in the permanence of carbon storage.

The Current State of the Market

Globally, around 40 commercial CCUS facilities are in operation, capturing roughly 45 million tonnes of CO₂ per year. This is a drop in the ocean compared to the world’s annual emissions of around 37 gigatonnes. Still, momentum is growing.

• Policy support is increasing, from the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to Europe’s Net Zero Industry Act and large-scale Middle Eastern initiatives.
• Corporate net-zero pledges are creating demand for reliable carbon removal and storage pathways.
• Investment pipelines are expanding: hundreds of CCUS projects are under development, though most are still in early stages.

However, the economics remain challenging. Capture costs often exceed £50 - 100 per tonne of CO₂, depending on the process and source. Infrastructure - pipelines, hubs, and storage sites - is sparse. Technology is still evolving, almost all current systems use an Amine based system to extract the CO₂, but this uses a lot of energy and does not qualify as pure CO₂. So other solutions are possible such as CCU International’s FluRefin Solution, but are struggling to gain traction. And public acceptance hinges on confidence that captured CO₂ will remain securely stored for decades or centuries.

The Challenges Ahead

The CCUS market is at an inflection point, but several obstacles limit its rapid deployment:

• Cost and energy intensity - Capture processes consume large amounts of energy, driving up costs and carbon intensity.
• Monitoring and verification - Regulators and markets require proof that injected CO₂ stays underground. Achieving this with accuracy and transparency is technically complex.
• Infrastructure gaps - Developing regional CO₂ transport and storage networks is capital-intensive and slow.
• Uncertain markets - Utilization pathways (synthetic fuels, chemicals, building materials) are promising but not yet scaled. Storage is often seen as a cost, not a revenue stream.

Addressing these hurdles is not only an engineering challenge - it is fundamentally a data and digital challenge.

Digital Solutions: Unlocking Scale and Trust

Digital innovation can lower costs, increase efficiency, and create credibility for CCUS markets. Some of the most promising applications include:

1. AI and Machine Learning

• Optimize capture plant operations, adjusting in real-time to fluctuations in energy supply or industrial processes.
• Use predictive maintenance to reduce downtime and extend asset lifetimes.
• Analyse subsurface storage performance to forecast injection capacity and mitigate risks.

2. Digital Twins

• Virtual replicas of capture units, pipelines, and geological storage sites enable simulation and scenario testing.
• Allow operators to model injection rates, pressure changes, and long-term storage integrity.
• Support project design, regulatory approvals, and operational optimization.

3. IoT and Remote Sensing

• Distributed sensors monitor pressure, flow, and chemical composition throughout the CCUS chain.
• Remote sensing (drones, satellites) can detect leaks or anomalies with high sensitivity.
• Provides the continuous monitoring needed for safety and compliance.

4. Blockchain and MRV (Measurement, Reporting, Verification)

• Carbon markets require trusted records of captured and stored CO₂.
• Blockchain platforms can create immutable, transparent MRV systems that underpin tradable carbon credits.
• Improves investor and buyer confidence in CCUS projects.

5. Geospatial Analytics and Subsurface Modelling

• High-resolution imaging and machine learning models improve site selection for CO₂ storage.
• Simulations help anticipate storage capacity, migration, and long-term integrity.
• Supports both exploration and regulatory approvals.

6. Digital Marketplaces

• Emerging platforms enable the trading of captured CO₂ and certified storage credits.

Creates price signals and liquidity, helping CCUS evolve into a viable business model rather than a cost centre.

Case Studies and Emerging Examples

• Schlumberger and Baker Hughes are integrating digital twins with subsurface expertise to monitor long-term storage projects.
• Blockchain pilots in Europe and North America are testing digital MRV frameworks for carbon credit issuance.
• Tech majors and startups are working with industrial emitters to deploy AI-driven optimization in capture facilities.
• The U.S. DOE’s CarbonSAFE program leverages digital geospatial and subsurface models to identify and validate storage hubs.

These examples show that digital solutions are not theoretical - they are already being deployed to de-risk, optimize, and finance CCUS projects.

Outlook: A Digital-Industrial Partnership

The next decade will likely see the rise of CCUS hubs, where multiple emitters share common capture, transport, and storage infrastructure. This hub model will reduce costs through scale, but will also demand sophisticated digital coordination platforms.

Expect to see:

• Mandatory digital MRV systems for regulatory compliance.
• Integration with carbon markets, where blockchain-based certification enables transparent trading.
• AI-optimized hubs, balancing capture, transport, and injection dynamically.
• Partnerships between tech providers and energy companies, blending digital intelligence with industrial infrastructure.

Those who succeed will not just capture carbon - they will capture trust, efficiency, and investment.

Conclusion

CCUS is often described as a bridge technology, but it is a critical pillar of any credible net-zero pathway. Yet to scale, CCUS must overcome high costs, infrastructure bottlenecks, and verification challenges.

This is where digital solutions become indispensable. From AI and digital twins to blockchain and IoT, the digital layer is what will transform CCUS from a niche technology into a mainstream climate solution.

The future of CCUS, then, is not just about capturing molecules - it’s about capturing data, trust, and efficiency. Only by embracing this digital backbone can CCUS deliver on its promise to help the world decarbonize at speed and scale.