From CCS to CCU and CCUS – the pitfalls of utilisation and storage

This chapter engages critically with carbon capture and storage (CCS), carbon capture and utilisation (CCU), and carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS). Beginning with a brief history of the development of CCS and the more recent move towards focusing on CCU and CCUS, it outlines some of the key controversies and debates surrounding these technologies. These reasonings are linked to different worldviews and key strategic choices that cohere with diverse perspectives on the role of technology, its impact on various lifestyles and the changes it may induce, the possibility of reducing fossil fuels, and ultimately, on how to meet the challenge of living within planetary boundaries. Thereafter, we bring this analytical entry point to bear on the ferrosilicon plant of Finnfjord Limited, and specifically address whether CO₂ can or should be seen as a valuable resource. In doing so, we problematise where the carbon in focus comes from and where it goes. In light of this analysis, we reflect upon the extent to which utilisation, the “U” in CCU(S), is fit for purpose in sustainable development.