Article adapted from the original source: CO2 capture and storage: supporting a new momentum whose potential still needs refining (August 27, 2026, ADEME – Agence de la transition écologique)
Authors/organizations: ADEME – Agence de la transition écologique (publisher, author of the press release, coordinator of the expert opinion), Ministry of Industry (national steering cited), France 2030 (program cited). People cited: not specified in the source.
Rights: © 2026 ADEME – All rights reserved. No license is mentioned on the original source. Reproduction for information and monitoring purposes with citation of the source.
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Introduction
CO2 capture and storage (CCS/CCUS) are gradually establishing themselves as complementary levers in France’s strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Driven by ADEME and the Ministry of Industry, the sector is undergoing accelerated structuring, but its real potential still needs to be confirmed in the face of many technical, economic and societal challenges.
A sector taking shape, with clear national ambitions
France has committed to capturing between 4 and 8 million tonnes of CO2 per year by 2030, as part of the National Low-Carbon Strategy. This momentum is supported by the emergence of pilot projects, the publication of expert opinions, and the mobilization of public and private stakeholders. Three main pillars have been identified: reducing hard-to-abate industrial emissions, producing e-fuels for transport, and offsetting residual emissions via geological storage or the valorization of biogenic CO2.
Promising technologies, but costly and complex to deploy
CCS remains a last-resort lever, to be used after energy optimization and electrification. Capture costs currently exceed €200/t CO2, well above the price of European allowances (€70/t in early 2026), making the use of these technologies dependent on public support. Implementation also requires heavy infrastructure (pipelines, terminals, underground storage) and coordination among many stakeholders with diverse professions.
Geographic constraints, public acceptance and international partnerships
Storage potential depends heavily on the location of industrial sites and the available geological capacity, often far from emission areas. The first projects are expected to rely on cross-border storage, in partnership with more advanced European countries. Developing national capacity remains strategic, but is limited by geological and social constraints.
Limited short-term potential, but momentum to support
According to ADEME, capture potential would represent less than 30% of emissions from France’s major industrial sites. Four winning projects in 2024 should make it possible to cut 3.36 Mt CO2/year. The sector must therefore be supported with discernment, prioritizing the most effective solutions and anticipating technological and regulatory developments.
Conclusion: Industrial decarbonization, a field already embraced by circular-economy players
While CCS/CCUS is an essential lever for unavoidable emissions, its scale-up will largely depend on industrial ecosystems’ ability to integrate these technologies into coherent value chains. This is precisely where players like WasteOlas, positioned at the intersection of waste-flow management and resource valorization, have a concrete role to play. By already working on characterizing sources of biogenic CO2 and providing technical support to industrial sites on their low-carbon pathway, WasteOlas illustrates a reality that is often underestimated: the transition is not only driven by major infrastructure projects, but also by a network of operational expertise capable of connecting capture, valorization and the circular economy on the ground.
Structuring the French sector by 2030 will offer major opportunities for companies that have been able to anticipate regulatory frameworks, build the right partnerships and demonstrate their added value through concrete cases. The race is on, and the pioneers of applied decarbonization are starting with a head start.