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Putting Houston's carbon capture and storage potential into perspective
September 7th, 2021
A carbon capture and storage (CCS) hub in Houston could dramatically accelerate the deployment of CCS technology in the United States.
Originally proposed by ExxonMobil, this hub is part of the company’s ongoing efforts to reduce emissions from the hardest-to-decarbonize sectors like heavy industry and power generation.
Carbon capture potential: how CCS technology could reduce industrial emissions in Houston
The concept aims to capture emissions from industrial facilities in the Houston area and safely store them deep below the Gulf of Mexico seabed in natural geological formations. The hub could remove up to 100 million metric tons of CO2 a year by 2040, helping to put the city on the path to meeting its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
Considered by experts to be one of the few proven technologies able to significantly reduce emissions from certain hard-to-decarbonize industries, CCS could be a game changer when it comes to meeting the Paris Agreement’s climate goals.
To put the hub’s potential into perspective, here’s a glance at what 100 million metric tons of CO2 looks like:
What does 100 million metric tons of CO2 look like?
Meeting the climate goals of the Paris Agreement will require a combination of big ideas and critical technologies. ExxonMobil believes, and experts around the world agree, that carbon capture and storage is the key to meeting these goals.
12M
POWERING 12M HOMES - MORE THAN ALL THE HOMES IN AUSTRALIA
22M
NEARLY 22M PASSENGER VEHICLES
SEQUESTRATION
CO2 THAT COULLD BE CAPTURED BY A FOREST LARGER THAN CALIFORNIA
NIGERIA'S
CO2 OUTPUT IN 2019
250B
DRIVING 250B MILES, OR CIRCLING THE EARTH 10M TIMES
12M
POWERING 12M HOMES - MORE THAN ALL THE HOMES IN AUSTRALIA
22M
NEARLY 22M PASSENGER VEHICLES
SEQUESTRATION
CO2 THAT COULLD BE CAPTURED BY A FOREST LARGER THAN CALIFORNIA
NIGERIA'S
CO2 OUTPUT IN 2019
250B
DRIVING 250B MILES, OR CIRCLING THE EARTH 10M TIMES
Sources:
https://edgar.jrc.europe.eu/country_profile/NGA
https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivelencies-calculator
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/geo/chart/AL/HSG010219
https://profile.id.com.au/australia/population
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Key takeaways:
- ExxonMobil leverages the skills of our people to deliver solutions such as CCS, lithium and hydrogen.
- Expertise in oil and gas exploration is transferable to carbon capture and storage projects.
- Geoscientist Clare Glover works on identifying locations to safely, securely and permanently store CO2 deep underground.
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