The integration of hydrogenation and carbon capture utilisation and storage technology: A potential low-carbon approach to chemical synthesis in China

The development of carbon emission reduction technologies and clean energy utilisation are two critical drivers for reducing and controlling greenhouse gas (GHG) emission from human activities. Carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) is an established and crucial emission reduction technology capable of achieving near-zero-emission from fossil fuels. Hydrogen, a zero-carbon fuel, provides energy security while improving air quality. However, hydrogen is commonly derived from fossil fuels with significant associated CO₂ emission. Hence, this study investigates the feasibility of integrating CCUS in the hydrogen industry, particularly from technical, sustainability, and policy perspectives. This study also critically reviews existing CCUS and hydrogen production technologies and discusses the prospects and challenges of each. Studies show that CO₂ enhanced oil recovery (CO₂-EOR) and CO₂ enhanced coal-bed methane recovery (CO₂-ECBM) are promising CCUS technologies in China, while producing clean hydrogen from fossil fuels with CCUS and water electrolysis are ideal development route. Specifically, this study proposes the coupling technical route of CCUS + SMR (steam methane reforming) and CCUS + CTH (coal-to-hydrogen) to accelerate carbon emission reduction by 2050 considering their promising carbon reduction potential and the ratio of hydrogen with CCUS. Besides, CO₂ hydrogenation integrated chemical production is becoming increasingly popular to achieve carbon emission reduction and low-carbon economy. However, the relatively high costs and lack of hydrogen transportation infrastructure is currently the major bottleneck restricting the development of CCUS and hydrogen industry. Therefore, government subsidies, standardised operation of the carbon market, and technological innovation are useful strategies to address this issue.