MentedCarbon capture, utilisation and storage for UPSC: how it works, India's policy and missions, storage geology, Prelims traps and the Mains angle.
Why in news
A PIB backgrounder on 27 October 2026 set out India’s carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) push. It came during ESTIC-2026, where energy technologies such as CCUS are a theme. With a dedicated budget line and a national R&D roadmap now in place, CCUS has moved from a niche idea to a policy pillar, and a likely UPSC topic.
The concept: what CCUS does
CCUS traps carbon dioxide at a factory or power plant before it escapes, then either puts it to work or locks it away deep underground. It runs in three stages:
- Capture: CO₂ is separated from flue or process gases, then cleaned, dried and compressed.
- Transport: pipelines carry most of it, while ships suit longer hauls.
- Use or storage: the gas becomes a raw material, or is injected into rock formations for permanent isolation.
Why India needs it: renewables can’t clean up everything. Some industrial steps need very high heat or carbon as an input, and can’t simply be switched to electricity. This is why NITI Aayog flags CCUS as essential for “hard-to-abate” sectors: steel, cement, fertilisers, chemicals, petrochemicals, and oil and gas. Emissions from these sectors, along with thermal power, could approach 2,300 million tonnes a year by 2030. Fossil sources still made up 45.12% of installed power capacity in August 2026.
Key features of India’s CCUS framework
Policy and money
- NITI Aayog’s CCUS Policy Framework (November 2022): set out sector-wise policy measures.
- DST’s CCUS R&D Roadmap (December 2025): guides research, funding and deployment.
- Union Budget 2026–27: ₹20,000 crore over five years for CCUS across power, steel, cement, refineries and chemicals.
Institutions and pilots
- National CCUS centres (2022): IIT Bombay and JNCASR, Bengaluru.
- India’s first integrated CCUS field lab (IIT Bombay, May 2026): brings capture, use and geological storage together at pilot scale.
- Cement test beds (May 2025): a cluster of five CCU test beds, run as public-private partnerships.
The hub-and-cluster model: several emitters share common pipelines and storage, which cuts costs and risk. The DST roadmap points to three candidate regions (see the table below).
Links to hydrogen: “blue” hydrogen made from coal or gas becomes far cleaner when paired with carbon capture. Coal gasification turns coal into syngas at roughly 800–1,600°C. Green hydrogen, by contrast, comes from electrolysis of water using renewable power.
Prelims pointers
- India’s net zero year is 2070, not 2050. This is a classic trap.
- Permanent storage options are depleted oil and gas fields, deep saline aquifers and basalt formations. Deccan Traps basalt is being drilled to test storage potential.
- Uses of captured CO₂ include enhanced oil recovery, urea, green methanol and concrete.
- Blue hydrogen means fossil feedstock with carbon capture; green hydrogen means renewable-powered electrolysis.
- Mission Innovation: India worked with 13 partner countries on CCUS research.
Mains angle
Significance: CCUS lets India cut emissions from existing heavy industry without stopping output. It supports the Panchamrit climate commitments, and it opens new markets for CO₂-based products.
Points to evaluate:
- How CCUS costs compare with other ways of decarbonising.
- Whether storage stays safe and leak-free over long periods, and how that is monitored.
- The risk that CCUS is used to delay a move away from fossil fuels.
- Why clusters may work better than plant-by-plant projects.
Sample Mains question themes
- “CCUS is a bridge, not a destination, in India’s net-zero journey.” Discuss with reference to hard-to-abate sectors.
- Examine the role of the hub-and-cluster approach in scaling carbon capture in India.
Revision checklist
- [ ] Define CCUS and its three stages
- [ ] Name the six hard-to-abate sectors
- [ ] Know the three storage formation types
- [ ] Recall: NITI framework 2022, DST roadmap 2025, Budget 2026–27 scheme
- [ ] Distinguish green, blue and grey hydrogen
- [ ] Net zero year: 2070
Full list: candidate CCUS cluster regions (DST Roadmap 2025)
| Region | Industrial base |
|---|---|
| Gujarat coast | Refineries and chemical industries |
| Odisha–Jharkhand belt | Steel and cement |
| Northeast India | Oil and gas resources |
Full list: where captured CO₂ can be stored permanently
| # | Storage option |
|---|---|
| 1 | Depleted oil and gas reservoirs |
| 2 | Deep saline aquifers |
| 3 | Basaltic rock formations |
Source: PIB Backgrounder, 27 October 2026.
In the syllabus: Mains GS Paper 3: Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment
Past UPSC questions on this topic
UPSC Prelims 2026
Consider the following statements with reference to India's response to climate change:
I. India's Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS) is a crucial tool for achieving net-zero emissions by 2070.
II. India's 4th Biennial Update Report (BUR-4) submitted in December, 2024 recorded around 8% decrease in Greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 over 2019.
III. Climate-resilient development necessarily depends on quick and short-term achievement of emission reduction targets.
Which of the following relationships among the above statements is/are correct?
1. Statement I is empirically supported by statement II.
2. Statement III contradicts the approach implicit in statement I.
3. Statement I and statement III together establish the premise of long-term sustainability.
Select the answer using the code given below:UPSC Prelims 2026
With respect to the Western Hoolock Gibbons, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. A Sanctuary in North-east India is home to this ape species listed as Endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
2. They have specialized brachiation and can easily swing between trees.
3. They possess a strong and heavy build like gorillas, yet are remarkably agile tree climbers.
Select the answer using the code given below:UPSC Prelims 2026
Which of the following best explain(s) the rationale for protecting mangrove ecosystems in the context of climate resilience?
1. Mangroves reduce tidal energy and store freshwater, making them ideal sites for paddy cultivation in saline estuarine belts.
2. Their salt-sensitive roots filter seawater, making mangroves key to converting coastal land into freshwater aquaculture zones.
3. By withstanding tidal surges and offering biomass resources, mangroves function both as natural bio-shields and livelihood bases for rural communities.
Select the answer using the code given below:UPSC Prelims 2026
Which of the following with reference to Indian States is/are not correct?
1. Uttar Pradesh shares its boundary with the highest number of other Indian States.
2. Rajasthan shares the longest international border among all Indian States.
3. Sikkim is the only State that shares its boundary with just one other Indian State.
Select the answer using the code given below:UPSC Prelims 2026
Which of the following statements with regard to the arrival of Amur Falcons at Doyang Lake in Nagaland each year from Mongolia is/are correct?
1. It showcases how sustained local conservation efforts can contribute to the arrival and protection of international migratory birds.
2. It reflects the global success of advanced tracking technologies that guide migratory birds back to their stopover sites.
3. It confirms that Amur Falcons have adapted to permanent residency in India due to favourable habitat changes.
Select the answer using the code given below: