New developments and future innovative opportunities for carbon sequestration in South Africa: A review

Abstract

The South African government has proven its commitment to the reduction of anthropogenic carbon emissions by unveiling the carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) pilot demonstration research site on August 30, 2024. The CCUS approach is to form part of the Integrated Resource Plan as one of the critical aspects of the country’s energy mix. This puts CCUS at the forefront of the adoption of clean energy initiatives. This paper reviews the progress on CCUS initiatives in South Africa since the publication of the 2010 technical report on the geological storage of carbon dioxide (CO₂) with a focus on onshore sequestration. The focus is on the current status, future opportunities, and the possibility of developing numerical models and simulations of various South African coal ranks to simulate CO₂ sequestration potential with reference to the related literature. The paper also delves into the ongoing Leandra pilot CCS demonstration project in Mpumalanga Province, the status of the identified unmineable coalfields available for CCS in South Africa, collaborations, and future prospects for CCS in the country. The purpose is to contribute to advancing the local CCS technology and mitigating anthropogenic CO₂ emissions. Through this review paper, it is established that promoting the advancement and implementation of CCS in South Africa requires continuous advanced research activities from scholars and private and government institutions because of the critical need to understand the fluid induced response of geological formations, especially coal formations, for the secure and effective application of this sequestration method.