The Eurecat technology centre, in collaboration with the Association of Companies for Mobility, Sustainable Environment and Smart Solutions (AEMES Smart) and the law firm RCD, has produced the paper “Smart Vision Paper #6: CO₂ Capture, Utilization and Storage”, which sets out a strategic vision to lead the development of these technologies in Catalonia and Spain, within the European and international context.
Drawing on the expert knowledge of Eurecat’s technology units in Chemical Technology; Waste, Energy and Environmental Impact; and Water, Air and Soils, the document analyses the regulatory, technological, economic, and industrial framework for CO₂ capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS).
The study, led by Eurecat’s Director of Singular Projects, Agustí Chico, reviews the entire CO₂ value chain, from capture to the transport, storage, and use of carbon dioxide.
Specifically, the study assesses international and local positioning, economic impacts, success stories, and priority industries in the deployment of carbon capture, utilization, and storage technologies, identifying the major challenges and the opportunities they may generate.
“Applying a good strategy in the development of these technologies opens the door to positioning Catalonia as a decarbonization hub in southern Europe. Achieving the necessary technological maturity, developing specific regulation, and supporting it with incentives and support mechanisms will be key in the coming years to drive and develop CCUS and a fully defossilized circular carbon economy,” explains Agustí Chico.
The deployment of CCUS technologies, he emphasizes, “is key to carrying out the transition towards a climate-neutral economy, especially in industrial sectors where CO₂ is difficult to abate, as emissions are intrinsic to the process and cannot be eliminated solely through electrification. Otherwise, it will be difficult to meet the emission-reduction targets set by the European Union for the coming years.”
On the other hand, this Smart Vision Paper highlights that CCUS technologies open up a new industrial and knowledge value chain that will make it possible to manufacture materials and chemical products similar to current ones but using renewable or recycled carbon, not of fossil origin. The development of these markets will contribute to green reindustrialization, the creation of skilled employment, and the international positioning of leading companies.
