Science outpaces governments in race to curb global warming | COP30 Brazil

A growing share of these innovations is focused on carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), which may play a strategic role in the energy transition and prove especially valuable for hard-to-abate industrial sectors such as steel and cement.

In recent years, companies and universities have ramped up studies and testing of solutions that, in general terms, extract carbon dioxide (CO₂) from emission sources—such as smokestacks burning fuel to generate power—or even directly from the atmosphere. The CO₂ is then compressed and injected into deep underground rock formations.

As an alternative to geological storage, researchers are also exploring the use of captured CO₂ in the production of goods such as sustainable fuels. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) database, updated in April, there are currently 959 CCUS projects worldwide that are either planned, under construction, or already operational.

Some of these initiatives are located in Brazil, which, according to the CCS Brazil Association, has the potential to capture more than 190 million tonnes of CO₂ per year. That volume represents the equivalent of 8.3% of Brazil’s 2023 greenhouse gas emissions, which totaled 2.3 billion tonnes, according to data from the Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Removals Estimation System (Seeg).

The director of CCS Brazil notes that the country’s geological carbon storage potential is significant. However, a lack of public incentives and the incomplete implementation of the carbon market continue to hinder the development of more projects.

In contrast, Norway—widely regarded as a pioneer in CCUS—announced in mid-June a government subsidy of R$12.2 billion for the Longship program, which aims to store 5 million tonnes of CO₂ beneath the seabed. The amount covers 64.5% of the project’s total cost.

“Carbon capture and storage are essential to ensure a fair and progressive energy transition, because many industries will continue to rely on fuels,” says Ms. Morbach. “There is still a great deal of skepticism around these technologies, and it’s common to hear that nature-based solutions, such as reforestation, should be the priority. But it’s important to understand that these solutions are not in competition—and that we need policies to support them all.”

Capturing and storing carbon is an expensive endeavor. In addition to the high cost of equipment, factors such as the type of industry in which the project is implemented and the geological characteristics of the subsoil influence overall costs, which can range from $50 to $400 per tonne of CO₂, according to estimates from the CCS Brazil Association. For this reason, although the number of projects in the sector is growing, many are still awaiting investment to move forward.

“The big bottleneck is financial. What will determine whether this becomes a viable business model is the price of carbon; however, many countries still lack a carbon market in place. The outlook today is optimistic, but before making investments, companies want clarity that the carbon market will, in fact, materialize and that countries will commit to their climate targets. That is why everyone is waiting to see what the tone of this year’s COP will be,” says Ms. Morbach.

For Rodrigo Spuri, Conservation Director at The Nature Conservancy, reducing CO₂ emissions, preventing deforestation, and restoring forests should serve as the foundation of any climate change mitigation strategy.

These practices help restore springs, support biodiversity, benefit surrounding communities, and foster the bioeconomy. They also tend to be less costly—forest restoration, for example, averages between $40 and $100 per tonne of CO₂ captured, according to Mr. Spuri.

Still, carbon capture and storage technologies can play a complementary role in this process, with the added advantage of removing CO₂ at a much faster rate than vegetation.

“On the other hand, there are risks associated with underground carbon storage, such as groundwater acidification and gas leaks if fractures or shifts in rock formations occur as a result of earthquakes, for instance,” he explains. “The benefit of adopting these technologies depends greatly on a country’s profile. For places like Iceland—home to the world’s largest direct air capture plant—where conditions for large-scale forest restoration are limited, it may be a viable option.”

Brazilian companies are already investing in this technology.

Oil and gas company Repsol Sinopec Brasil, in partnership with the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), has tested the DAC 300TA device, which can capture up to 300 tonnes of CO₂ from the atmosphere per year.

In operation since November 2024 on the PUCRS campus, the DAC 300TA comprises 20 reactors equipped with large “fans” that draw air directly from the environment.

Once inside the system, the air passes through filters filled with materials capable of isolating CO₂ from other gases. The concentrated CO₂ is then compressed and can be transported to a designated site for either utilization or storage. During this testing phase, the captured CO₂ is being used for research into the technical efficiency and commercial feasibility of the technology.

The company, which has pledged to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, has invested over R$60 million in the Direct Air Capture System Integration (DAC.SI) initiative, which includes the DAC 300TA.

“DAC.SI serves as a proof of concept and a foundation for future scalability. We now have the world’s first DAC unit operating in a tropical climate with high humidity and temperature—conditions that can impact CO₂ capture efficiency and that had yet to be tested,” says Research Portfolio Manager Cassiane Nunes. “The aim is to build a portfolio of projects that enable cost reductions and foster technological maturity, so that this becomes a viable tool for offsetting emissions.”

The project’s design also includes the installation of a solar power plant at PUCRS, which would allow the DAC 300TA to operate entirely on renewable energy. At present, the equipment relies on electricity from the grid.

Ethanol with a negative footprint

Brazilian company FS is set to begin construction in August on a CO₂ capture and storage unit at its corn ethanol plant in Lucas do Rio Verde, Mato Grosso, with the goal of producing the world’s first product with a negative carbon footprint. The R$550 million project is subsidized by the Brazilian Innovation Agency (Finep).

In biofuel production, CO₂ is released during the corn fermentation stage. With Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) technology, the CO₂ will be captured directly from the biorefinery’s chimney. It will then be transported through pipelines to a compression and dehydration unit, and finally injected underground at a depth of 1.1 kilometers using a specialized probe.

The system’s CO₂ capture potential is estimated at 423,000 tonnes per year. The plant’s underground geological formation has a storage capacity of 12 million tonnes of CO₂—enough for permanent carbon storage for roughly 30 years.

The construction of the unit is pending only an environmental permit and is expected to generate 230 direct jobs. Completion is slated for mid-next year. According to Daniel Lopes, FS’s Vice President of Sustainability and New Business, the company plans to monetize the initiative by selling carbon credits. Looking ahead, FS also intends to market carbon-negative corn ethanol at premium prices in regions offering incentives for low-carbon products.

The sale of carbon credits from CO₂ capture and storage is projected to generate R$40 million per year for FS, according to Celso Pansera, who led Finep between 2023 and 2024—when the company secured funding for the project. During that two-year period, the federal financing agency invested approximately R$5 billion in decarbonization programs. “We need to move forward with investments so that new technologies can evolve and become economically viable,” says Mr. Pansera.

Belo Horizonte–based startup DeCarb is in negotiations with two multinational corporations—one from the mining sector and the other from the naval industry—to secure investment for the development of a prototype of its carbon capture solution, designed for commercial-scale operation.

This innovation, engineered to capture 170,000 tonnes of CO₂ directly from industrial exhaust ducts and flue gas stacks, stands out for using an organic absorbent material—derived from plant-based waste—instead of synthetic compounds.

A proof-of-concept study conducted in partnership with Anglo American demonstrated that the organic material can retain up to 99.9% of the emitted carbon. As a result, the CO₂ concentration in the treated exhaust gas is extremely low—less than half the level present in the atmosphere before the Industrial Revolution—effectively contributing to carbon dilution in the environment.

According to Flávio Pietrobon of DeCarb, the reuse of organic waste in the production of the capture material also prevents greenhouse gas emissions, since the natural decomposition of this waste would otherwise release carbon into the atmosphere.

Another advantage of the solution, Mr. Pietrobon notes, is its compact size. Roughly equivalent in volume to a standard cargo truck, it can be installed even in plants with limited space—a stark contrast to some competing technologies, which can span the size of an entire city block.

Pending confirmation of investment, DeCarb plans to expand its team from 12 to 50 employees to fast-track development and aims to install its prototype at an industrial facility within two years. The equipment alone is projected to cost R$3.5 million to manufacture.

Simultaneously, the startup is developing a system to convert captured CO₂ into solid materials—such as granular crystalline carbon and metal oxides, which can be used in the manufacture of dental drills and electric vehicle batteries—as well as green hydrogen, a sustainable fuel alternative.