Black is the new green

The Finnfjord algae project has been labelled a carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) project as it holds significant promise in converting CO₂ into biomass. Distinct from carbon capture and storage (CCS), which focuses solely on trapping and storing CO₂ in underground geological formations, CCU goes a step further, presenting an economic incentive through the potential monetisation of products, services, and technologies derived from CO₂ capture (Friedlingstein et al., 2020; Stocker, 2014; Styring et al., 2011). This approach not only helps reduce point source greenhouse gas emissions but also creates value by turning a harmful waste product into a resource. However, a pivotal concern about CCU is its potential to only delay the eventual CO₂ emission, rather than permanently sequestering it. This has raised questions from scholars in different fields about its long-term impact, with a common perspective that the broader environmental implications of deploying CCU at scale still require comprehensive scrutiny (Olfe-Kräutlein, 2020; Roy et al., 2023).