The growing world population is causing a high demand for energy including electricity, gasoline, and natural gas for cooking or heating and transportation. This increasing energy consumption comes with a significant environmental cost, primarily in the form of carbon dioxide emissions. Everything around us needs energy generated from petroleum products. The transportation industry is one of the leading sources of carbon dioxide emissions. Big industrial processes like cement & fertilizer production plants, power plants, chemical manufacturing plants, and mining for minerals also contribute significantly to CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. One promising approach is carbon capture and storage (CCS), a technology designed to capture CO2 emissions before they enter the atmosphere. These are precombustion (before the fuel is burned), post-combustion (after the fuel is burned), and oxyfuel (by burning the fuel in more oxygen and storing all the gases produced as a result). After capture, the CO2 would have to be transported to suitable storage sites. A conveyor belt system or ship could also be utilized for transport. Storing carbon dioxide under the earth’s surface is called geo-sequestration. Notable carbon capture storage sites include Altmark in Germany, Hontomin in Spain, Weyburn in Canada, and Sleipner in the Norwegian North Sea, etc. The world is moving towards solar and wind as renewable source of energy but that is not going to solve the problem. Recognizing this fact that we are still likely to use petroleum products to meet the growing demand for energy an agreement was signed by several countries in Paris that sets a framework to limit the emissions and for the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This presents a perfect opportunity for the oil and gas industries as the captured carbon dioxide can be stored and also for enhanced oil recovery. Carbon capture utilization and storage are technologies used to keep carbon out of the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide can be stored in underground formations or used in industrial processes. The development of carbon capture utilization and storage family of technologies is relatively new and has opened many opportunities for the oil and gas professional. Algae can capture and use carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and recycle it into biomass at relatively fast rates, which can be used as a carbon source for producing different value-added products and a good source for bioenergy production. Algae absorb carbon dioxide by photosynthesis, making it a good candidate for water desalination.
In conclusion, meeting our growing energy demands while reducing CO2 emissions is not easy but manageable. We can work toward a sustainable energy future by embracing carbon capture technologies, investing in renewable energy, and exploring natural solutions like algae cultivation. Collaboration among governments, industries, and researchers will be vital in driving these initiatives forward, ensuring that we can meet our energy needs without compromising the health of our planet for generations to come.

Anil Behera

University/College name : ICGEB, New Delhi