Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS): Reducing Carbon Emissions and Ensuring Compliance
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is becoming increasingly important for organizations aiming to reduce carbon emissions and achieve their environmental objectives. Especially for industries such as cement, steel, and chemicals, where there are few or no other options to reduce emissions, carbon capture and storage plays a major role. CCS also enables organizations to mitigate climate-related risks through emissions reduction.
Governments and regulators are pushing CCS to decarbonize industry through policies, incentives, and funding derisking mechanisms. CCS projects often involve multiple operators from emitters, to transmission and conditioning up to storage operators. This long and complex value chain makes accurate measurement, reliable reporting, and independent validation paramount to ensure transparency across the system.
Quantification and Verification for Enhanced Transparency
In a CCS project, carbon emissions are first captured from industrial facilities, then transported through pipelines, ships, or other infrastructure, and finally stored underground. Multiple companies and operators are often involved in the transportation and storage of CO₂, making it essential to accurately measure and report CO₂ data at every stage of the process.
This is where Quantification and Verification (Q&V) come into the picture, enabling precise measurement and reporting of data at each stage of the value chain to strengthen stakeholder trust. It enables organizations to reduce risks and ensure regulatory compliance. A strong Q&V framework ensures consistency in data reporting across multiple operators, improving transparency, enabling independent verification, and building investor confidence.
Tracking and Monitoring CO₂ Across the Value Chain
To ensure confidence in CCS, it is essential to accurately track CO₂ from capture to underground storage. This enables operators to compare the quantity of CO₂ at different stages of the process. Measurement systems are used to measure CO₂ flow rates and composition throughout the value chain, supporting stakeholder trust. However, factors such as instrument performance, environmental conditions, and measurement methods can affect the final results. It is crucial for operators to understand and document these uncertainties.
By identifying uncertainties and using robust verification procedures, operators can ensure credible and transparent data reporting. This enables companies to meet regulatory requirements and enhance investor confidence. Once CO₂ is stored underground, it is essential to efficiently monitor it. Storage operators must ensure that CO₂ is safely contained within the storage site and behaves as expected from injection to the longer term after closure and abandonment of the wells.
To achieve this, CCS projects apply a Measurement, Monitoring, and Verification (MMV) plan that is developed around the specific characteristics and risks of each storage site. It combines different monitoring technologies to assess storage integrity, track CO₂ movement, and identify unusual conditions that may require corrective actions. Independent audits and regular reviews ensure that monitoring systems are effective across the value chain.
Bureau Veritas: Your Trusted Partner for CCS Assurance
As expectations from regulators, investors, and business partners continue to grow for transparent, traceable, and credible carbon reporting, independent verification becomes vital. Bureau Veritas supports organizations across the entire CCS value chain by providing independent verification, assurance services, and technical expertise.
We validate measurement and verification protocols, assess data quality, and review CO₂ accounting methodologies. We also evaluate uncertainty assessments and verify that monitoring systems are operating effectively.
In addition, Bureau Veritas conducts independent audits of Measurement, Monitoring, and Verification (MMV) plans and supports compliance with international standards such as ISO 27914.
Through independent assurance, Bureau Veritas enables organizations to present reliable data, strengthen stakeholder confidence, attract investment, and ensure regulatory compliance. We support CCS projects across the value chain to reduce risks, improve efficiency, and demonstrate transparency.