R&D Roadmap for CCUS to Achieve India’s Net-Zero Targets Launched

India's CCUS Roadmap Unveiled: A ₹600 Gigatonnes Potential But No Easy Fix

On December 4, 2025, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) released India’s first R&D roadmap for Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS). The document positions CCUS as a centerpiece in achieving the nation’s net-zero target by 2070, estimating a geological storage capacity of up to 600 gigatonnes (Gt) of CO₂. The implications are significant: CCUS could potentially capture 750 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of CO₂ by 2050, turning emissions from industries like cement and steel into value-added outputs such as green urea, methanol, or aggregates for construction.

Why This Represents a Break From Conventional Pathways

India’s climate strategy to date has been dominated by an aggressive scale-up of renewables. The headline numbers are impressive: 174 GW of installed renewable energy capacity and ambitious targets to reach 500 GW by 2030. However, renewables address only one-third of India’s emissions, largely from the power sector. The "hard-to-abate" sectors — cement, steel, petrochemicals — remain stubbornly fossil-fuel reliant.

Enter CCUS. Unlike renewables, which avoid emissions outright, CCUS proposes capturing existing CO₂ and either storing it or converting it into useful products. This shift seeks to decarbonize sectors that electrification or renewable energy cannot replace in the near-to-medium term, enabling industrial growth while edging closer to climate goals. The roadmap’s proposal for shared infrastructure creates scope for regional “clusters” where costs could be distributed, offering economies of scale. This framework is a departure from standalone renewable installations.

The Institutional Machinery and Legal Terrain

The roadmap comes under DST’s purview, aligning with India’s scientific research mandate under Article 51A(h) of the Constitution, which calls for fostering scientific temper. However, CCUS adoption demands broader systemic support. Key components include:

• Public-private partnerships: As highlighted, financing mechanisms could include clean-energy cess funds or bonds — both requiring central and state coordination.
• Regulatory frameworks: Monitoring captured CO₂ movement across transport pipelines and storage sites necessitates standards under the Environment Protection Act, 1986.
• Human capital: Training engineers and technicians specific to CCUS technologies will depend on skilling programs under schemes like PMKVY.

The roadmap’s reliance on early-shared infrastructure demands parallel institutional frameworks for regional collaboration, yet India's track record on inter-state infrastructure remains patchy (consider GST implementation woes). Whether this machinery can move at pace to meet the 750 mtpa target by 2050 is a stark policy challenge.

What the Data Reveals

The report forecasts immense economic, environmental, and social benefits from CCUS deployment — but how robust are these assumptions? Consider three key numbers:

• 600 Gt Geological Storage: While impressive on paper, geological surveys must validate this claim. The uneven regional deposition of geological formations could be problematic for cluster models.
• 750 mtpa Potential Capture by 2050: That’s three times India’s current emissions from its largest contributor, the power sector (252 mtpa). Achieving this figure assumes both technological maturity and accessibility to capital markets.
• 30% Industrial Emissions: The roadmap identifies steel, cement, and petrochemicals as priority sectors, contributing roughly 30% of CO₂ emissions. Yet these industries face high operational costs — CCUS adoption would either require massive subsidies or policy mandates.

The report smartly advocates value-added utilization pathways, such as green urea and building materials, but transformational uptake depends on cost competitiveness. Current CCUS technologies globally hover around $40–$100 per tonne CO₂ captured. Can subsidies or tax breaks realistically bridge this gap for Indian firms?

The Uncomfortable Questions

Beyond funding and infrastructure, critical blind spots remain. First, the roadmap lacks granular state-level implementation guidance. Emission profiles vary dramatically across industrial clusters — Gujarat, with its petrochemical dependence, has distinct needs compared to Bihar, largely reliant on coal-based power.

Second, the timeline of 2070 risks becoming a bureaucratic shield rather than an actionable deadline. CCUS demands pilot projects scaled up across decades. Yet India’s institutional history suggests delays are the norm, especially for technologies needing cross-sector coordination.

Regulatory capture is another underexplored risk. Will industry giants dominate CO₂ clustering decisions, sidelining small-scale emitters? The centralized model could inadvertently favor coal-based plants, inhibiting economic diversification.

Finally, political timing matters. While the launch aligns with India’s international commitments under the Paris Agreement, CCUS inclusion comes amidst tepid public buy-in. Can a roadmap pitched to industrial policymakers translate effectively to wider societal support?

Lessons from Norway’s Long Game

If global precedent offers insights, Norway’s CCUS story is instructive. Since 1996, Norway has operated the Sleipner CO₂ storage project offshore, storing over 20 million tonnes of CO₂ beneath the North Sea. Yet even with government backing and regulatory frameworks like carbon taxes, CCUS uptake has been gradual. The lesson? Even technologically mature systems require stable funding and multi-decadal planning.

India’s proposed financing pathways, such as clean energy cess or bonds, must proactively guard against underfunding — a risk Norway mitigated only through robust industry-government collaboration.

Mains Evaluation Question

Question: Critically evaluate whether India’s CCUS R&D roadmap is equipped to meet its net-zero targets given its structural limitations in financing, regulatory mechanisms, and state implementation challenges. (250 words)

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