Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) has been around since the 1920s, when it was first developed as a solution for separating commercially valuable gases. Over the years, the technology became closely linked to fossil fuel production and is now a cornerstone of clean technology and sustainability goals.

Today, however, the conversation is shifting beyond carbon capture alone. Industry players are no longer focused only on removing CO₂ emissions. Instead, they are asking a broader question: how can CO₂ be captured, purified, transported, utilized, and ultimately stored in a way that is both technically robust and economically viable?

The answer lies in a more comprehensive approach: Carbon Management.

While the traditional CCS framework focuses primarily on separating CO₂ from flue gases or process streams, carbon management takes a broader view of the value chain. It considers the CO₂ source, required purity, available energy, transport options, and final destination. This is the direction NEXTCHEM has taken in developing its carbon management solutions.

Choosing the Right Technology for the Right Stream

Successful carbon management begins with understanding the specific characteristics of each emission source and selecting technologies that fit the technical and economic realities of the project.

Not all emission sources are alike. Industrial CO₂ streams vary significantly in concentration, pressure, temperature, and composition. Some originate from low-concentration post-combustion flue gases, while others come from high-concentration process streams. Each requires a different technological approach, and no single solution can deliver optimal performance across all operating conditions.

For post-combustion applications, where streams are typically low-pressure, high-volume, and oxygen-rich, amine-based absorption remains one of the most established solutions. Technologies such as NX Decarb™ build on this mature approach, optimizing solvent performance, heat integration, and overall energy efficiency. In these systems, CO₂ is selectively absorbed into a solvent and later released through regeneration, typically by heating.

However, amine systems are inherently energy-intensive and rely on the availability of steam or waste heat. When these utilities are limited or when the process conditions make solvent-based capture less attractive, alternative routes must be considered.

One such alternative is cryogenic separation. By cooling the gas stream to the point where CO₂ condenses, it can be physically separated from other components. Solutions like NXCryoCOOL™ leverage the thermodynamic properties of CO₂ to enable efficient condensation-based separation, providing a viable option where heat integration is constrained or where a non-solvent-based approach is preferred.

Ultimately, selecting the appropriate technology depends on multiple factors, including CO₂ concentration, pressure, temperature, available utilities, and required product specifications. Flexibility in technology selection is therefore essential to ensure both technical feasibility and economic performance.

CO₂ as a Product, Not Only a Waste Stream

A fundamental shift in industrial decarbonization is the recognition that CO₂ can, in some cases, be treated as a valuable product rather than solely as a waste stream.

Captured CO₂ can be utilized in a range of applications, including:

  • Urea, methanol and Sustainable Aviation Fuel production
  • Food-grade and pharmaceutical uses
  • Enhanced oil recovery processes

In most of the cases, however, CO₂ must be transported for permanent storage. This introduces a new set of challenges related not only to capture, but also to conditioning, logistics, and integration into downstream systems.

Liquefaction and CO₂ Logistics

Once CO₂ has been captured and purified, its physical form becomes a key consideration for transport. In gaseous form, CO₂ occupies a large volume, making long-distance transport inefficient unless a pipeline is available.

Where pipeline infrastructure is not feasible or available, liquefaction becomes a critical enabler. By converting CO₂ into liquid form, its volume is significantly reduced, allowing for efficient transport by ship, rail, or other logistics routes.

This is where advanced liquefaction technologies such as NX CLIQ™ play a strategic role. Designed for large industrial capacities, this solution uses CO₂ itself as part of the refrigeration cycle, simplifying the system architecture while enabling scalable and energy-efficient liquefaction.

Compared to conventional small-scale systems, typically designed for applications such as carbonated beverages, industrial-scale liquefaction requires a different level of optimization. Process design must carefully balance capital expenditure (CAPEX), operating costs (OPEX), energy consumption, and strict purity requirements.

Integration Matters

Successful industrial decarbonization depends not only on selecting the right technology, but on how effectively that solution is integrated into the existing plant. The most effective carbon management systems:

  • Minimize impact on upstream operations
  • Maximize heat integration and energy efficiency
  • Offer flexibility in electrification and utilities usage
  • Ensure compatibility with retrofit configurations

This integrated approach is central to NEXTCHEM’s methodology, where solutions such as NX Decarb™, NX CryoCOOL™, and NX CLIQ™ are not applied in isolation but combined and tailored to the specific characteristics of each asset.

From Concept to Reality: The Casalborsetti Project

A concrete example of this integrated approach is the Casalborsetti project. NEXTCHEM supported Italy’s first carbon capture and storage plant at ENI’s Ravenna hub, where CO₂ from a complex gas turbine stream was captured, purified, and sent through a pipeline for storage under the Mediterranean Sea. 

The project is notable not only because it demonstrates capture at an industrial scale, but because it shows what successful carbon management actually requires: integration with the existing asset, reliable purification, and CO₂ delivery at the conditions needed by the downstream storage system.

The Future Is a Balanced Energy System

The next phase of industrial decarbonization will not be entirely electric, but electricity will play a much larger role. Cleaner power will enable more capture, more hydrogen production, and more conversion of CO₂ into valuable products such as methanol or sustainable aviation fuel.

The realistic path forward is a balanced energy system: more electrification where it creates decarbonization value, more heat integration where it improves efficiency, and more carbon management technologies where they make industrial sense. That is the direction in which NEXTCHEM’s portfolio is positioned.

NEXTCHEM’s strength lies in its ability to combine technologies and tailor them to each industrial case. That means designing solutions that reduce emissions without disrupting operations, and that can adapt to different feed streams, different site constraints, and different end uses for CO₂. 

As carbon management evolves, industrial operators will need partners who understand both the chemistry and the plant realities. The future belongs to integrated solutions that are technically sound, commercially viable, and ready to scale.