The Global CCS Institute’s 2026 report counts 113 commercial facilities worldwide, and says the real shift is from single projects to connected networks.
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has reached a milestone just ahead of the COP31 climate summit. According to the Global CCS Institute’s Global Status of CCS 2026 report, 113 commercial CCS facilities are now operating around the world. That is more than four times the number in 2021.
Three Decades From Sleipner to a Global Industry
The technology has come a long way since Norway’s pioneering Sleipner project began operating about three decades ago. The report says CCS is now firmly established across a range of industries, including cement production, natural gas processing, LNG, hydrogen, ammonia and fertiliser manufacturing.
Together, these projects have permanently stored more than 400 million tonnes of CO₂ since 1996, the Institute says.
From Single Plants to Connected Networks
The most important finding, according to the research, is not the rising number of sites. It is the move toward shared transport links, collaborative storage hubs and workable commercial frameworks. The report describes these integrated networks as essential for scaling CCS to meet strict climate targets.
About one-third of all the initiatives the Institute tracks are dedicated transport and storage infrastructure. As facilities now under construction become fully operational, global operating capture capacity is forecast to exceed 100 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa).
What the Institute’s CEO Says Is Holding CCS Back?
Jarad Daniels, CEO of the Global CCS Institute, said proven technologies are available for commercial deployment, but projects need “an investable business case” to go ahead.
In his view, policy and financing remain the main constraints. CCS relies on capital-intensive infrastructure, he said, which needs market-enabling policy, coordinated planning and dependable revenue streams.
He also pointed to progress. Thanks to private sector leadership and public-private collaboration, Daniels said, scalable business models and tools are emerging in places where durable government climate policies have made projects bankable.
The Americas Lead on Capacity
The Americas currently have the largest operational CO₂ capture capacity, at 48 Mtpa, and the United States remains the main driver. The report notes that the surging electricity needs of AI and large data centres are opening new opportunities for carbon capture in power generation.
Canada is moving past standalone capture units toward full carbon management networks that connect industrial emitters to shared pipelines and storage basins. The report highlights a recent agreement between the Canadian federal government and the province of Alberta. It brings together project approvals, infrastructure development, carbon pricing, carbon contracts for difference and Indigenous participation under a single framework.
Europe Tests Cross-Border Storage
Europe’s CCS pipeline is growing quickly and could reach 141 Mtpa if all planned developments go ahead. Northern Europe is serving as a testing ground for international CO₂ transport and storage markets, with new industrial alliances and cooperation agreements allowing emitters in one country to store carbon permanently in another.
A clear example is Yara’s ammonia plant in the Netherlands. It captures CO₂ and ships it for permanent storage in Norway through the Northern Lights infrastructure.
Asia, the Middle East and Africa
Similar patterns of government support and joined-up value chains are appearing across Asia. China is moving from isolated pilots to broader networks covering industrial decarbonisation, offshore storage and transport. Across the wider Asia-Pacific region, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore are developing supportive regulation. India has pledged US$2.2bn to speed up deployment across its heavy industries.
Analysts note, however, that these early policy settings will need to be strengthened to trigger the next wave of projects.
In the Middle East, regulation is advancing steadily. Abu Dhabi has launched its General Policy on Carbon Capture. Africa, meanwhile, is building early-stage CCS activity through feasibility studies and cross-border partnerships.
Systems, Not Standalone Projects
Daniels said scaling CCS increasingly depends on systems rather than single projects, and that it is encouraging to see evidence of this beginning in this year’s report. Deployment has come a long way in 30 years, he said, but policy, financing and connected infrastructure all need to work together to go further and faster.
His closing message was direct: with demand for decarbonised materials and electricity rising, “now is the time to push forward, not pull back.”
What to Watch Next?
The foundations for large-scale carbon management are getting stronger, but the report is clear that they are not yet enough. Whether the networks now being planned turn into operating capacity will depend on policy, financing and revenue certainty, and COP31 will be an early test of how much of that momentum governments are willing to back.
