The unavoidable capture of CO2 is growing at an exponential rate. The volumes involved are huge while the value per ton is also increasing. In the past, CO2 has been the subject of billions of euros of fraud. Theoretical certifications will not be sufficient in many scenarios, especially those operating in batches and requiring discontinuous transport.
CCUS: A total emergency
In order to comply with the Paris climate agreements (COP21), the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the IPCC Panel are calling for the annual capture and permanent storage of several billion tons of CO2 to help achieve climate neutrality by 2050 and save humanity from a series of immeasurable disasters.
The volumes currently captured must be multiplied by 100 in the short term !
Immense flows of CO2 to manage
The implementation of new industrial CO2 capture projects (CCUS) is progressing rapidly in several regions of the world, particularly in North America, Europe and Asia.
At the same time, the value of the ton of CO2 is also increasing. Thus, CCUS represents a business that is valued in thousands of billions of dollars.
A real new CO2 industry is emerging, combining storage and innovative uses.
Financial and industrial risks
In the recent past, there have been massive tax frauds on carbon rights that have represented huge amounts. For example, in Europe, the amount of these frauds was estimated at between 5 and 10 billion euros.
Calculated certifications exist but …
Certification systems for the compensation of avoided and compensated CO2 exist and use factors or abacuses, but they are not based on a real traceability of the batches and do not allow in multiple scenarios an audit a posteriori in case of problem. Errors and uncertainties have been highlighted, even at the level of nations. Their financial impact is major and weakens the incentive to good practices.
Needs for traceability
Proofs of origin and storage are essential when flows are grouped together to achieve economies of scale (Hubs & Clusters), and must be prepared upstream. This is all the more essential in the case of CO2 transport by truck or rail. For example, an average industrial capture unit such as a cement plant or a waste treatment plant will need to use between 50 and 80 trucks a day to transport its captured CO2. This opens the door to a host of problems, if there is no traceability and certification for each batch transported.
Beyond the « climatic » need to capture CO2, it can become a resource for many sectors (energy, e-fuels, agrifood, chemicals, materials, cold chain, construction, etc.). There have been cases, notably in North America, where road or rail transport vectors did not meet the downstream contract concerned in terms of the characteristics of the batches transported.
