At the national two sessions, the topic of green and low-carbon development attracted much attention. CCUs (carbon dioxide capture, utilization and storage), as a large-scale carbon reduction technology, will help China achieve the goal of carbon peak and carbon neutralization. Surging news learned that Ma Yongsheng, member of the CPPCC National Committee, chairman and party secretary of China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation(600028) group, submitted a proposal on “accelerating the development of CCUs industrial chain”. He suggested strengthening the top-level design of CCUs industry, tackling key core technologies, promoting the demonstration and commercial application of CCUs industrial chain, accelerating the planning and layout of CCUs pipe network and the construction of cluster infrastructure, improving fiscal and tax incentive policies, laws and regulations, creating a good environment for the development of CCUs industry and helping China achieve the goal of “double carbon”.
Internationally, in 2020, the global carbon sequestration scale achieved by CCUs will be about 40 million tons, accounting for 0.1% of the total carbon emissions; The International Energy Agency predicts that the global use of CCUs to reduce carbon will reach 1.6 billion tons, 4 billion tons and 7.6 billion tons in 2030, 2035 and 2050 respectively, accounting for 4.7%, 11.8% and 22.4% of the total global carbon emissions in 2020. CCUs technology will play an important role in global carbon reduction in the future.
From the perspective of China, the Chinese Academy of Engineering predicts that China’s primary energy consumption will be 5.57 billion tons of standard coal in 2060, of which fossil energy consumption still accounts for 26.8%, which will produce 2.71 billion tons of CO2 emissions, of which 1.6 ~ 1.9 billion tons can be offset by carbon sinks such as forests, grasslands and wetlands, and there is still a gap of about 1 billion tons. China has great potential for geological storage of carbon dioxide and has the engineering capacity of large-scale capture, utilization and storage. According to the 2021 China CCUs annual report, China can store about 5.1 billion tons and 9 billion tons of carbon dioxide through carbon dioxide enhanced oil and gas exploitation technology, and about 15.3 billion tons can be stored by using depleted gas reservoirs, while the storage potential of injecting deep saline water layer is greater, Filling the gap through CCUs will be an important technological choice for China to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality.
The opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on completely, accurately and comprehensively implementing the new development concept and doing a good job in carbon peak and carbon neutralization listed CCUs as an important technical means to achieve the goal of “double carbon” for the first time, and clearly put forward “promoting the R & D, demonstration and industrial application of large-scale carbon capture, utilization and storage technology”.
Ma Yongsheng believes that on the whole, China’s CCUs is in the industrialization demonstration stage, which is equivalent to the overall international development level, but some key technologies lag behind the international advanced level. There are great differences in land storage potential and high costs in different regions. It is urgent to speed up the pace of development, form an effective industrialized large-scale economic utilization, and help China achieve the “double carbon” goal.
In this regard, Ma Yongsheng suggested accelerating the development of CCUs industrial chain from five aspects: top-level design, technology research, industrial chain demonstration, infrastructure layout, policies and regulations.
First, strengthen the top-level design of CCUs industry. It is suggested that the national level formulate the overall development plan of CCUs, support CCUs technology as a major national science and technology project, build a systematic policy framework system, and orderly promote the application of CCUs in petrochemical, chemical, electric power, steel, cement and other industries.
The second is to strengthen the research on key core technologies. It is suggested that the national level should coordinate the joint research of industry, University and research, promote collaborative innovation, carry out core technology research around the key links such as low concentration carbon dioxide capture, industrial utilization, storage and carbon sequestration measurement, promote the technological upgrading of the whole industrial chain of CCUs, and catch up with and surpass the international advanced level as soon as possible.
Third, promote the demonstration and commercial application of CCUs industrial chain. Support the construction of CCUs industrial demonstration areas in energy and chemical industries, accelerate the construction of CCUs industrial clusters, and gradually integrate CCUs technology into the green development technology support system of energy and mining and the sequence of strategic emerging industries; List the CCUs project as a public welfare project, smooth the project approval channel and simplify the approval process.
Fourth, accelerate the planning and layout of CCUs pipe network and the construction of cluster infrastructure. Increase investment in relevant infrastructure, strengthen the construction of transportation pipe network, establish a cooperation and sharing mechanism, and drive the formation of a regional CCUs Industry Promotion Center Based on pipe network facilities and storage sites; Improve financing channels, set up special government financial funds, and guide investment institutions to increase investment support.
Fifth, improve the fiscal and tax incentive policies and the system of laws and regulations. Explore and formulate CCUs tax preference and subsidy incentive policies suitable for national conditions and oriented to the goal of carbon neutrality, and implement tax relief or carbon emission reduction subsidies for carbon dioxide utilization and storage projects; Formulate and improve the CCUs industry specifications, system and regulatory framework system and technical specifications, and form a unified industry standard.
