Why Geological CO₂ Storage is a Key Component of the Energy Transition
Geological CO₂ storage, a discreet but crucial pillar of industrial decarbonization, is emerging as a lever for the energy transition.
The global energy transition rests on a complex equation: how to reconcile growth, energy security, and carbon neutrality? Beyond renewables and electrification, carbon capture and geological storage are emerging as a major strategic lever to decarbonize the most difficult sectors and preserve industrial competitiveness.
From Capture to Energy System Transformation
Geological CO₂ storage is not a one-time solution, but rather an essential transition infrastructure. By connecting emission sites to underground reservoirs, it establishes a structural network that complements existing major energy systems and supports the achievement of long-term climate objectives.
The carbon value chain is based on a simple but powerful principle: capture CO₂ where it is emitted, transport it to appropriate sites, then bury it permanently in deep geological formations. Without this durable storage capacity, all capture efforts would lose their meaning. We cannot be content with capturing carbon without guaranteeing its long-term confinement — this is where geological storage becomes the keystone of the system.
The figures testify to a remarkable acceleration. In 2023, the announced capture capacity for 2030 jumped by 35%, while storage capacity exploded by 70% [1]. Currently, approximately 50 million tonnes of CO₂ are captured and stored annually worldwide, distributed across some 45 commercial facilities [1]. These infrastructures are progressively forming a true "CO₂ network," comparable to energy highways, with pipelines, regional hubs, and strategic interconnections.
The Role of Geological Storage in Decarbonizing Hard-to-Abate Sectors
Some industries naturally resist decarbonization. Cement, steel, refining, fertilizers, and heavy chemicals generate emissions that come not only from the combustion of fossil fuels, but from chemical reactions inherent to their processes. Even with massive electrification and green hydrogen, these sectors will retain incompressible residual emissions.
It is precisely for these "hard-to-abate sectors" that geological storage proves indispensable. In carbon neutrality scenarios, carbon capture and storage represents an essential contribution. In the International Energy Agency's Net Zero scenario, CCUS contributes to approximately 8% of cumulative global emission reductions between 2022 and 2050 [2]. This technology plays a particularly critical role in heavy industry: according to the International Energy Agency, CCUS provides approximately 38% of emission reductions in chemicals, and nearly 15% in the cement and steel sectors [3].
Without this option, many industrial facilities would find themselves at an impasse: either close or continue emitting. Geological storage offers a third way, allowing economic activity to be maintained while respecting climate objectives. It is about stabilizing residual emissions rather than letting them compromise the entire climate effort.
An Emerging Energy Infrastructure: Towards a Circular Carbon Economy
The deployment of geological storage is not limited to drilling wells: it requires the construction of a true integrated infrastructure. "Carbon hubs" are emerging worldwide, aggregating emissions from multiple industrial sources, pooling pipeline transport, and optimizing shared storage capacities.
These regional hubs generate significant economies of scale. Rather than each plant developing its own infrastructure — expensive and inefficient — emitters connect to a collective network. This pooling drastically reduces transport costs and maximizes the use of available geological formations.
The Alberta Carbon Trunk Line perfectly illustrates this model in Canada. This integrated 240-kilometer system, in operation since 2020, has a design capacity of approximately 15 million tonnes of CO₂ per year and aims to connect more facilities in the future [4]. Even more ambitious, the Pathways Alliance plans a massive network to capture millions of tonnes of emissions from oil sands by 2030.
Complementarity with Other Clean Technologies
Geological storage does not compete with renewable energy or hydrogen: it complements them. While wind, solar, and hydroelectricity transform our electricity production, CO₂ storage tackles incompressible emissions from industrial processes. This complementarity proves essential in a coherent climate strategy.
Take the example of "blue" hydrogen, produced from natural gas with CO₂ capture. Without geological storage, this sector would lose all climate credibility. Although producing steel via CCUS-equipped processes is approximately 8 to 9% more expensive than current conventional methods, the electrolytic hydrogen route results in cost premiums of 35 to 70% [3]. In the chemical sector, producing ammonia or methanol with CCUS increases costs by 20 to 40%, compared to 50 to 115% for routes using electrolytic hydrogen [3].
Promising synergies are also emerging with other subsurface uses. Certain regions rich in ultramafic rocks allow CO₂ mineralization, transforming the gas into solid carbonate — an even more stable form of storage. Other sites could accommodate both CO₂ and hydrogen storage, sharing infrastructure and expertise. However, these synergies remain largely at the research stage and still require scientific advances before commercial deployment.
CO₂ Storage in Quebec and the Role of Local Geology
Quebec possesses underrecognized geological assets for CO₂ storage. The St. Lawrence Basin, with its sedimentary formations 1,500 to 3,000 meters thick, offers deep aquifers and promising carbonate rocks [5]. The Potsdam, Beekmantown, and Trenton formations constitute potential targets for large-scale sequestration.
Concrete initiatives are taking shape. Deep Sky company is exploring CO₂ mineralization sites in Bécancour and Thetford Mines, while partnerships are developing to create regional sequestration hubs. Mapping projects such as the "Geological Carbon Storage Atlas of Eastern Canada" are working to systematically quantify opportunities and costs in the Quebec-Atlantic region [5].
On a Canadian scale, the potential is colossal: approximately 389 billion tonnes of CO₂ could be stored, mainly in Western Canada. Quebec, with its expertise in geosciences and mining drilling, could leverage these skills to develop a local geological storage sector. With this in mind, Ressources & Énergie Squatex is leveraging its subsurface exploration experience to support research on CO₂ storage in deep formations to support carbon-neutral drilling.
Why Invest in Geological CO₂ Storage Now
Long perceived as a stopgap solution, geological CO₂ storage is now emerging as a pillar of decarbonization. It does not replace renewable energy: it complements it, ensuring the coherence of a truly carbon-neutral energy system.
For geological storage to become a legitimate and responsible component of the energy transition, concerted action is necessary: support for scientific research, implementation of appropriate regulatory frameworks, and public awareness of the importance of these technologies.
In Quebec, actors like Squatex Energy & Ressources are drawing on their geoscience expertise to study the potential of CO₂ storage and carbon-neutral drilling, thus contributing to the emergence of a sustainable energy sector.
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References
[1] International Energy Agency. "Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage - Energy System." IEA, 2023, www.iea.org/energy-system/carbon-capture-utilisation-and-storage.
[2] "IEA Net Zero Roadmap Update (2023-IP13)." IEAGHG, September 26, 2023, ieaghg.org/insights/iea-net-zero-roadmap-update-2023-ip13.
[3] International Energy Agency. "CCUS in the Transition to Net-Zero Emissions." CCUS in Clean Energy Transitions, www.iea.org/reports/ccus-in-clean-energy-transitions/ccus-in-the-transition-to-net-zero-emissions.
[4] International Energy Agency. "CO2 Transport and Storage - Energy System." IEA, www.iea.org/energy-system/carbon-capture-utilisation-and-storage/co2-transport-and-storage.
[5] "Geological Carbon Storage Atlas of Eastern Canada Update." Canadian Discovery, cdl.canadiandiscovery.com/geological-carbon-storage-atlas-of-eastern-canada.
