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oa UccUS Energy: An Innovative Approach to Underground-Carbon-Capture, Utilization, and Long-Duration Energy Storage for Trilemma of CCUS
- Publisher: European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers
- Source: Conference Proceedings, World CCUS Conference 2025, Sep 2025, Volume 2025, p.1 - 5
Abstract
The global economy’s reliance on fossil fuels has led to resource depletion and high CO2 emissions, exacerbating the energy trilemma of security, affordability, and sustainability. Traditional carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) methods face challenges due to low CO2 concentrations in industrial waste gases, complex processes, and high energy consumption. This study proposes an innovative solution: Underground-carbon-capture, Utilization, and Storage (UccUS) combined with Long-Duration Energy Storage by Differential Pressure Power Generation (LDES-DPPG), termed “UccUS Energy”. Utilizing high-temperature, high-pressure, and high-salinity underground saline water layers as natural CO2 absorbents and energy storage containers, this approach eliminates the need for expensive ground facilities. Industrial waste gas or air is injected into saline layers, capturing CO2 underground while compressing residual nitrogen for energy storage. Results demonstrate high security through large-capacity underground storage, affordability with 90% cost savings in carbon capture and additional power generation income, and strong sustainability by enabling low-cost carbon reduction and reliable long-duration storage for intermittent renewable energy. Successfully applied in multiple Chinese oil and gas fields, UccUS Energy offers a scalable solution for global energy transition, leveraging widespread saline water resources to achieve net-zero goals while addressing the energy trilemma. This approach represents a transformative pathway for sustainable development.
