Why carbon capture and storage?

Much of the world, including Canada, is fortunate to have huge reserves and a reliable supply of low cost coal – more coal than oil, in fact. To simply say “no” to coal without first exploring every avenue possible to cost effectively eliminate its emissions could deny everyone the right to affordable and dependable electricity.

The potential of CCS

What makes the case for carbon capture and storage (CCS) so powerful is that it can be retrofitted on existing coal-fired power plants as well as other fossil energy infrastructure. In 20 years, most of Canada’s industrial emissions will still come from facilities in operation today.

By retrofitting coal fleets across the country, CCS has the potential to make coal a carbon-neutral fuel. And, if heavy oil upgrading facilities were built with CCS capability, we could capture and store up to 90 per cent of the carbon dioxide (CO₂) these facilities emit.

Carbon dioxide emissions challenge

If the world is to make significant CO₂ emissions reductions, we must find technologies to retrofit as much of the world’s existing and emitting infrastructure as possible. That’s why hundreds of billions of dollars are being spent around the world to find answers that will allow countries and companies to retrofit and continue to use these facilities so they are CO₂ emission free (learn more about some of these CCS projects). Canada can play a critical role in commercializing CCS. Doing so will benefit Canadians and people around the world.