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Building carbon capture and storage facilities in the US takes too long: how can we streamline the process?

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By illuminem briefings

· 2 min read


illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on Earth.org or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University assessed the time required to develop, approve, and implement Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) facilities in the U.S.
They found that the process can take between 5.5 to 12 years, which is problematically lengthy for meeting urgent climate goals

🔭 The context: Originally developed in the 1920s for natural gas processing, CCS technology is now a key component in conservation efforts with 40 CCS facilities globally, and 50 more expected by the end of the decade

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: CCS is critical in mitigating climate change, potentially contributing to 14% of the required global GHG emissions reduction by 2050
However, the slow approval process for CCS facilities is a significant bottleneck, hindering the achievement of climate targets

⏭️ What's next: To speed up CCS facility development, the paper suggests a few strategies, including pre-vetting sites, facilitating multi-state coordination, and strengthening EPA and state-level staffing
Accelerating this process is vital for the U.S. to meet its 2030 and 2050 climate goals

💬 One quote: "We found that indeed, one of the bottlenecks is the local state capacity" (Valerie Karplus, Researcher, Carnegie Mellon University)

📈 One stat: The CCS process currently prevents approximately 45 metric tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere each year


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