CCS captures carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from a fossil fuel power plant and then pipes it to an underground storage site such as a depleted gas or oil reservoir.

In theory, CCS would allow energy producers to continue to burn fossil fuels and still meet carbon emission targets. In practice, the technology is expensive and unproven.

Clustering a number power plants at one end of a central pipeline and multiple storage sites at the other end would save money over the long term. More savings could from using CO2 to help produce oil from aging wells, which would generate revenue to help cover the costs.

Not only are starting costs higher but also these options entail a risk that the bigger and longer pipelines required would never be fully used if the technology fails to prove itself.