Energy and transition economics
2026-04-26
11 minute read
21 sources
Carbon capture in 2026: 45Q economics, project pipeline, and the gap between announcements and tonnes stored
The CCUS sector has moved from policy promise to a real but uneven build-out, with roughly 50 facilities operational, a 392-project pipeline that targets seven hundred million tonnes per year by 2030, and a 45Q stack that finally pays enough to close most point-source projects but still strains for direct air capture.
Global CCUS capacity sits near fifty million tonnes per year of operational injection across about fifty facilities, with a Global CCS Institute pipeline of 392 projects pointing at roughly seven hundred million tonnes per year if every announced project reaches FID and operates at design rate. The IRA-amended Section 45Q credit, eighty-f...