Which statement about CCS is accurate?

• A. CCS can reduce emissions but faces high costs and potential leakage.
• B. CCS is cost-free and risk-free in practice.
• C. CCS eliminates the need for any energy production.
• D. CCS is already deployed everywhere with no storage risk.

Answer: (A)

The main idea being tested is that CCS can reduce carbon emissions but comes with real trade-offs. CCS works by capturing CO2 from a source like a power plant or factory, transporting it, and storing it underground in geological formations. This can lower the amount released to the atmosphere, which makes it a useful tool for reducing emissions.

But there are significant costs involved: upfront capital for capture facilities, ongoing operating costs, and energy required to run the capture process itself, which reduces overall efficiency. There’s also the challenge of ensuring long-term containment; even with careful design, there’s a risk of CO2 leakage through wells, faults, or other pathways, so robust monitoring and verification are needed. Because of these factors, CCS is not free of cost and not risk-free, and it isn’t deployed everywhere or capable of eliminating the need for other energy strategies. It remains a potential emissions-reduction option, balanced by economic and storage-security considerations.