Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is increasingly the low-carbon technology of choice when it comes to global investment opportunities, according to research from international law firm Pinsent Masons.
More than 90% of venture capital investors and technology developers surveyed said they had invested in either carbon capture or carbon storage solutions in the last year, with 78% planning to do so again within the next 12 months.
Stacey Collins, an energy technology expert with Pinsent Masons, said the results highlighted how much CCS had become a vital part of the energy transition process.
“The data strongly reflects what we are seeing globally on live projects,” he explained.
“CCS is now being treated as essential enabling infrastructure for the energy transition, particularly in hard‑to‑abate sectors where electrification alone will not deliver the required emissions reductions. The key shift is that the market is no longer debating whether CCS has a role, but how it can be delivered at scale in a way that is technically, commercially and legally bankable.”
©Pinsent Masons
In some regions, investment levels are particularly strong, with more than 98% of UK investors and developers backing the technology. Across Europe investment levels in CCS remain high, with France, the Netherlands and Germany all showing more than 90% support from investors – and only Spain, where 78% of respondents said they had or were investing in CCS, bucking the trend.
Among major oil producing countries, investors in Saudi Arabia (93%) and the USA (90%) showed the greatest support, while more than 80% of investors in Qatar and the UAE had backed or were planning to back CCS projects.
Laura Ayre, a supply chain expert, said “Developers and investors have been building up repeatable contracting and procurement models for CCS over recent years. That institutional knowledge is not easily replicated, and it is one of the reasons the technology continues to attract capital even as other options open up.”
Strong interest from early-stage companies suggests CCS is not simply a vehicle for large incumbents but new entrants see a genuine commercial opportunity.
“This is exciting but it will be important for first-time entrants into this space to ensure they don’t underestimate how much early legal and commercial structuring matters, when it comes to ensuring your CCS project is robust and set up to be investable from the outset,” she added.
