Carbon Capture
Technology that captures carbon dioxide from industrial processes or directly from the air, then stores or reuses it.
Definition
Carbon capture refers to a family of technologies designed to prevent carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere, either by capturing it at the source -- such as a power plant or factory smokestack -- or by pulling it directly from ambient air (known as direct air capture).
Once captured, the CO2 is typically compressed and either stored permanently underground in geological formations or used as an input for other industrial processes, such as manufacturing concrete or synthetic fuels.
In Practice
A cement factory fitted with carbon capture equipment can trap a large share of the CO2 it would otherwise emit, storing it underground instead of releasing it into the atmosphere.