S. EVANS, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Stoke-on-Trent, England; J. PANDYA, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Amherst, Massachusetts (U.S.); T. DEARING, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Buffalo, New York (U.S.)
To meet the continued urgency for global decarbonization, investors, startups and governments have spent the last decade or more spearheading carbon removal initiatives and investing billions in the infrastructure to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, store it and reuse it. Once touted as an ideal practice for reducing CO2 emissions, the carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) market is under increasing pressure from recent policy shifts and technological challenges to evolve. However, forward momentum remains. Legislation is still on the docket to permit local industry development, countries are backing large-scale carbon capture projects, international organizations are setting targets to decarbonize industry and leadership teams at energy companies are considering the practice as a potential revenue source.
CCUS allows industries and businesses to transition existing processes towards cleaner energy without losing current levels of productivity or decreasing profitability. In fact, CCUS can transform CO2 into a valuable commodity that supports a variety of industrial applications and enhances safety standards. However, carbon capture is a complex process that requires real-time chemical monitoring for optimal performance and to ensure compliance. Advanced analytical technologies are essential to optimize CCUS practices and support the continuous shift toward more sustainable operations across industrial markets.
The urgent need to streamline process monitoring. Traditional process monitoring methods, such as gas chromatography (GC), have long been the standard for carbon capture analysis. Although reliable, this approach requires extracting samples, transporting them to offsite labs and waiting, sometimes for days, for results. This often leads to more downtime and delayed decision-making.
While streamlining the workflow is important, eliminating operational burdens and barriers to use can also help optimize CCUS. Traditional methods may require operators with a certain level of expertise, which can restrict scalability and accessibility. These tools may also require regular calibration and maintenance, which can be costly and burdensome for operational teams. As CCUS expands into new markets and applications, scientists need tools that can help them meet the demands for speed, accuracy and adaptability in these demanding environments.
Advanced environmental monitoring and analytical tools for CCUS. Several cutting-edge technologies can help organizations across the oil and gas, iron, steel and cement manufacturing industries to reduce, capture, transport, store and utilize CO2 emissions. When compared to traditionally used technologies, these tools enable users to quickly, accurately and safely account for the total amount of CO2 captured and ensure compliance with increasingly stringent regulations.
Raman spectroscopy offers a transformative approach to inline, nondestructive analysis, making it a valuable tool for real-time process monitoring. The technique uses laser-based optical analysis to measure the composition of a sample. Once equipped with various optical attachments, such as a probe or a flow cell, users can obtain unique vibrational properties of the molecule—often referred to as a molecular fingerprint—to determine both the composition and concentration of analytes of interest. With continuous data, operators can control and manage the process, pinpoint any shifts in composition, and make better decisions without halting production. Raman spectroscopy is ideal for CCUS markets where users must track the dynamic reactions involved in CO₂ absorption and desorption. Recent advancements in the stability and portability of this technology have also made it faster and more accessible.
Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy adds another layer of analytical precision for CCUS by allowing onsite operators and researchers to analyze and monitor the change in impurities levels with captured CO2 heading to and from geological storage. By exposing a sample to infrared light across a broad range of frequencies and measuring absorption patterns, users quickly receive molecular information that enables them to identify the chemicals present in the sample. The technology is incredibly sensitive and can provide detailed insights into the presence and concentration of various substances, including trace impurities.
FTIR excels at continuously monitoring low-level contaminants—at parts per million or even parts per billion—within the CO2. With innovative FTIR technology, pipeline owners and operators can continuously monitor and guard against hazardous levels of acid gases in the pipeline. This technology is critically important for pipeline integrity, as any impurities in the CO2 could result in pipeline corrosion.
Both Raman and FTIR are gaining popularity in CCUS markets, and there is significant optimization potential for those that adopt these cutting-edge technologies. The combined strengths of real-time analysis and high sensitivity equip operators with a comprehensive toolkit to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of carbon capture processes.
Innovation in action. Industry leaders are already leveraging these technologies to overcome the limitations of traditional gas analysis. One organizationa, a leader in the deployment of direct air capture (DAC) solutions, implemented Raman spectroscopy to supply commercial and industrial businesses with clean CO2 captured from the atmosphere. The company needed a quality assurance solution that offered continuous, real-time monitoring of beverage-grade CO2 products. They found that Raman spectroscopy enabled them to meet rigorous purity specifications and provide the transparent, on-demand data that beverage companies require.
In other applications, such as measuring various refined fuel properties of gasoline, jet and diesel fuels, Raman has demonstrated that it can significantly increase throughput, reduce overhead costs and improve operational safety. For refinery laboratories, Raman enables technicians and operators to quickly and precisely analyze their samples and turn the spectral data into actionable insights for informed decision-making.
Empowering a sustainable future. Raman and FTIR are setting new standards for process analysis, delivering the speed, accuracy and reliability that operators need in CCUS environments. However, despite the benefits, there is still a gap in adoption across industries and applications where inline, real-time monitoring is essential to push the boundaries of innovation. As the industry continues to evolve, these analytical insights will be central to carbon capture processes, helping drive industry toward a healthier, cleaner and safer future. HP
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Samuel Evans is a Commercial Leader at Thermo Fisher Scientific with more than a decade of experience in gas analysis, mass spectrometry and FTIR-based monitoring technologies. Earning a PhD in chemistry, his expertise spans technical sales, product strategy and the application of advanced analytical tools in the carbon capture, clean hydrogen and petrochemical industries. Dr. Evans currently leads global business development initiatives for gas analysis solutions, with a focus on optimizing process performance and driving innovation in low-carbon industrial technologies.
Janam Pandya is an enthusiastic scientist and spectroscopist with 10 yrs of academic and industry experience. Dr. Pandya earned his PhD in food science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst—his research there focused on developing novel analytical methods utilizing cutting-edge Raman spectroscopic techniques. Since 2022, he has worked for Thermo Fisher Scientific as an application scientist, advancing the application of Raman spectroscopy for real-time process measurements. This includes his current focus on implementing process Raman spectroscopy as a process analytical technology (PAT) tool in the clean-energy sector, among other industries.
Thomas Dearing is a seasoned chemometrician and spectroscopy expert currently serving as a Senior Staff Scientist at Thermo Fisher Scientific. He earned his PhD from the University of Hull, where his research focused on data analysis, chemometric modeling, novel sample selection routines, pre-processing methods and experimental design. Across roles, Dr. Dearing has led the development of Raman spectroscopy‑based in-line process analytical technology solutions for industries including biopharmaceuticals, oil and gas, chemicals and polymers.