KUALA LUMPUR, July 25 — Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) has expressed concerns regarding the promotion of Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) as a climate solution. In response to an article in The Star on July 15, 2024, SAM criticized the endorsement of CCUS by MIDF Investment Bank, citing a poor track record of deployment that has led to overpromising, under-delivering, and cost overruns. SAM argues that CCUS has been used to prolong fossil fuel usage rather than pursuing genuine climate action through renewable energy alternatives.
SAM highlights that the primary use of captured carbon is for enhanced oil recovery (EOR), which paradoxically increases overall carbon emissions by enabling more oil extraction. They note the underperformance of existing CCUS plants, such as the Gorgon LNG plant in Australia and the Quest Oil refinery in Canada, which have capture rates significantly lower than the claimed 90%. SAM calls for a reassessment of the proposed CCUS Act by the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, emphasizing that public resources should be directed toward proven, cost-effective mitigation solutions like wind and solar energy instead of expensive and risky CCUS projects.
