Carbon Capture and Utilization Update

In recent years, carbon capture and utilization (CCU) has been proposed as a potential technological solution to the problems of greenhouse-gas emissions and the ever-growing energy demand. To combat climate change and ocean acidification as a result of anthropogenic CO₂ emissions, efforts have already been put forth to capture and sequester CO₂ from large point sources, especially power plants; however, the utilization of CO₂ as a feedstock to make valuable chemicals, materials, and transportation fuels is potentially more desirable and provides a better and long-term solution than sequestration. The products of CO₂ utilization can supplement or replace chemical feedstocks in the fine chemicals, pharmaceutical, and polymer industries. In this review, we first provide an overview of the current status of CO₂-capture technologies and their associated challenges and opportunities with respect to efficiency and economy followed by an overview of various carbon-utilization approaches. The current status of combined CO₂ capture and utilization, as a novel efficient and cost-effective approach, is also briefly discussed. We summarize the main challenges associated with the design, development, and large-scale deployment of CO₂ capture and utilization processes to provide a perspective and roadmap for the development of new technologies and opportunities to accelerate their scale-up in the near future