The International Energy Agency (IEA) has published an update on the global status of CCUS, highlighting the sector’s accelerating development and its increasingly central role in climate mitigation strategies.

As of 30 April 2025, global CO₂ capture capacity has exceeded 50 million metric tonnes per year. This marks a significant achievement for an industry that has evolved rapidly in recent years. Looking ahead, the IEA projects that annual capture capacity could increase to approximately 430 million metric tonnes by 2030, indicating that CCUS is moving from a specialised innovation to a core part of industrial decarbonisation.

Landmark projects demonstrate feasibility

Several large-scale CCUS projects initiated in 2025 are setting new benchmarks:

• Norway is now home to the world’s largest CCUS facility at a cement plant. The project in Brevik captures carbon dioxide from one of the most difficult sectors to decarbonise. It is part of the Longship programme and involves the permanent storage of captured emissions beneath the North Sea.
• In the United States, the largest operational Direct Air Capture (DAC) facility has begun operations. Designed to remove more than one million tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year, this development significantly advances the carbon removal landscape.

These projects represent a shift from pilot projects to commercially viable, large-scale implementations.

Policy foundations accelerate progress

The IEA highlights that policy frameworks and public sector support have been instrumental in driving CCUS expansion. Countries like the United States, Canada, and members of the European Union have introduced long-term strategies that facilitate faster project development and increased investment.

One promising trend is the establishment of regional infrastructure for carbon transport and storage. Shared pipelines and geological storage facilities allow multiple emitters to access CCUS solutions, making deployment more efficient and cost-effective.

Expanding globally, yet gaps remain

Although adoption is accelerating in industrialised economies, the IEA notes a significant disparity in project development across the Global South. However, countries like China are beginning to close the gap. China recently launched its first offshore CCUS initiative in the Pearl River Mouth Basin, demonstrating growing regional engagement.

To achieve balanced progress, the IEA encourages stronger international cooperation, increased financial support, and greater efforts in knowledge transfer to support CCUS uptake in emerging economies.

CCUS as a critical component of climate strategy

The IEA continues to emphasise that CCUS is not a complete solution in itself, but it is an essential component in the broader effort to reduce global emissions. Its particular relevance lies in:

• High-emission industrial sectors such as cement, steel, and chemicals
• Carbon removal approaches, including Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) and DAC
• Assisting fossil fuel-reliant regions to decarbonise during the energy transition

Scaling up for the decade ahead

If current trends in investment and policy support persist, the IEA projects that capture capacity could increase tenfold by 2030. The narrative is shifting from whether CCUS works to how quickly and responsibly it can be scaled up.

As the agency states, the next five years will be decisive in determining whether CCUS reaches its full potential or remains underused in efforts to address climate change.

Conclusion

The IEA’s latest update delivers a clear message: CCUS is no longer a future technology awaiting validation. It has become a crucial instrument in the present-day climate toolbox. With momentum building and global emissions targets becoming more urgent, this moment represents both a turning point and a call to accelerate action.

For further details, explore the full dataset via the IEA’s CCUS Projects Database.