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Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage Workforce Resource

Carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), also referred to as carbon capture, utilization and sequestration, is a process that captures carbon dioxide emissions from sources like coal-fired power plants and either reuses or stores it so it will not enter the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide storage in geologic formations includes oil and gas reservoirs, unmineable coal seams and deep saline reservoirs -- structures that have stored crude oil, natural gas, brine and carbon dioxide over millions of years.

Job Creation Areas and Key Workforce Skills for CCUS

1. Engineering and Technical Skills

  • Process Engineering: Designing and optimizing carbon capture systems.
  • Chemical Engineering: Understanding the reactions and materials used in CO2 separation and utilization.
  • Mechanical Engineering: Developing and maintaining equipment like compressors, pipelines, and storage systems.
  • Electrical Engineering: Managing power needs for CCUS facilities, including integration with renewable energy.

2. Geological and Environmental Expertise

  • Geoscience: Identifying suitable underground storage sites for CO2.
  • Reservoir Engineering: Managing CO2 injection and monitoring storage integrity.
  • Environmental Science: Assessing and mitigating environmental impacts.

3. Operations and Maintenance

  • Instrumentation and Controls: Operating complex systems for monitoring and managing CO2 capture and transport.
  • Welding and Fabrication: Building and maintaining pipelines and storage facilities.
  • Safety and Compliance: Ensuring adherence to safety standards and regulatory frameworks.

4. Data and Digital Skills

  • Data Analytics: Monitoring CO2 flow, storage, and leak detection using real-time data.
  • AI and Automation: Developing smart systems to optimize CCUS processes.
  • Geospatial Analysis: Mapping and analyzing geological formations for storage suitability.

5. Policy and Regulatory Knowledge

  • Understanding carbon markets, emissions trading schemes, and financial incentives.
  • Navigating permitting processes for CCUS projects.

6. Project Management and Communication

  • Managing large-scale, multidisciplinary CCUS projects.
  • Collaborating across industries, academia, and government.

Workforce Impacts

  1. Retraining: CCUS can provide cross-industry employment for workers in traditional fossil fuel and adjacent industries, with many of the same skills necessary for CCUS jobs.
  2. Skill Demands
    • Workers need expertise in fields such as chemical engineering, geoscience, and welding.
    • Upskilling and reskilling programs are essential to prepare the workforce for CCUS-specific demands.

Other CCUS Resources

  • NETL Carbon Transport and Storage Program-NETL Carbon Transport and Storage Program-CCUS activities at NETL have grown and evolved significantly over the past 15 years. Point-source carbon capture, carbon conversion (utilization) and carbon dioxide removal (e.g., direct air capture) have expanded into separate, stand-alone research and development (R&D) programs, while transport R&D has been added to the storage component of the overall CCUS effort
  • Regional Initiative to Accelerate CCUS Deployment - U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) announced 16 projects across 14 states are set to receive $23.4 million to provide locally tailored technical assistance and enhanced stakeholder engagement around carbon management technologies.
  • DOE Carbon Capture Demonstration Projects Program - The Carbon Capture Demonstration Projects are backed by $2.5 billion in funding to advance the demonstration and implementation of carbon management technologies. This initiative aims to promote well-paying manufacturing jobs, reduce pollution for healthier communities, and strengthen America's global leadership in the energy technologies of the future.