Positioning for growth: Reciprocating compressors in the expanding CCUS market

As Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) projects expand worldwide, our compressors are gaining traction in this emerging market, offering clear operational cost and performance advantages in special applications.

For years now, CCUS has been recognized as a key technology to achieve global net-zero ambitions. In its Sustainable Development Scenario, the International Energy Agency outlines a pathway how car bon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from the global energy sector will reach net zero by 2070, with CCUS contributing nearly 15% of the emission reductions. 

CCUS first gained prominence in the 1970s in the process of enhanced oil recovery (EOR). Today, it is expanding into sectors such as cement, steel and waste-to-energy. With global capture volumes projected to reach 10.4 gigatons annually by 2070¹, CCUS is forming an essential pillar of the energy transition and a growing market opportunity for reciprocating compressor technology.

Compressors are required at several stages throughout the entire CCUS process chain. After CO₂ is captured directly from the air or from heavy emission sources, such as fossil-fuel power plants or steel mills, the captured CO₂ is compressed. The compressor reduces the volume, International Energy Agency 36 of the gas, thus making it easier to transport by ship or pipeline. 

When transported by pipeline, a compressor is crucial for keeping CO₂ at high pressure to ensure efficient flow. When transported by ship, CO₂ is usually liquefied. During CO₂ liquefaction, the role of a compressor is critical, because the process requires CO₂ to be brought to high pressure and controlled temperatures so that it can transition from gas to liquid. 

At the end of its CCUS journey, CO₂ is transported to the point of usage or storage. CO₂ can be converted into products — it can be used as feedstock for producing chemicals or even synthetic and sustainable fuels. If it is directed towards storage, a compressor is essential in boosting CO₂ to a higher pressure to inject into geological formations, like depleted oil and gas reservoirs.

1. Carbon capture
CO₂ is captured from industrial sources or directly from the air and is then compressed. 

2. CO₂ compression
Compressors reduce the volume of captured CO₂ for efficient transport. 

3. Transport
Compressed CO₂ is transported by pipeline or liquefied and transported by ship. 

4A. Utilization
CO₂ is used as feedstock for chemicals, fuels, and other industrial products. 

4B. Storage
Compressors boost CO₂ to a higher pressure for injection into geological storage sites.

Because CCUS requires significant initial investment, early projects were concentrated in industries and sectors with very high CO₂ emissions, where the high CO₂ quantities justified the use of centrifugal compressors. 

As governments worldwide introduce tax incentives and funding for CCUS initiatives, technology is becoming more accessible and appealing to industries facing emission penalties and net-zero commitments. Reciprocating compressors, the technology where Burckhardt Compression holds a leading position, can handle capacities of up to 2.5 MTPA (million tonnes per annum). They are ideally suited for CCUS projects emerging across sectors such as cement, biofuel and waste-to-energy, and can also be applied to direct air capture applications.

Beyond offering a different capacity range, our reciprocating compressors stand out for one key reason — their higher efficiency compared to centrifugal compressors. 

Centrifugal compressors are engineered to deliver peak performance when operating conditions, such as temperature and gas flow, closely match their defined “design point”. Because of this narrow operating window, even small deviations re quire operational adjustments or bypass systems to maintain process stability. These corrective measures lower efficiency and drive up operating costs. On the other hand, reciprocating com pressors offer high efficiency even under changing process conditions. Capacity control can be achieved through speed variation and advanced volume control methods, such as clearance pocket adjustment or valve unloading, which do not significantly impact system efficiency.

The cost competitiveness of centrifu gal compressors is negatively impacted when operating conditions, in particular flow rate, vary. In contrast, reciprocating compressors can adapt to fluctuating conditions with minimal impact on efficiency. For CO₂ compression in CCUS applications — where high pressures, variable conditions, and reliability are essential, reciprocating compressors offer clear advantages. They deliver superior energy efficiency, operational flexibility, and lower lifecycle costs, making them the preferred choice for most high-pressure CO₂ processes such as liquefaction, pipeline boosting, geological storage, including EOR.

Governments around the world are accelerating CCUS deployment by introducing stronger investment incentives, climate targets, and carbon trading schemes. 

Many major countries around the world, such as the UK, Japan, India, Australia and the EU countries recognize car bon storage within their emission trading schemes or carbon-credit systems. For example, the EU’s European Innovation Fund regularly provides grants to CCUS projects, supporting up to 60% of a project’s total cost. Together, these measures are building significant global momentum for CCUS and enabling faster adoption across multiple sectors. 

From 2017 onward, the number of CCUS projects under development grew at an annual average rate of 35%. Worldwide, there are currently 73 CCUS projects actively under construction and more than 900 additional CCUS projects in the pipeline². As this momentum accelerates, the need for efficient and reliable CO₂ compression technology has never been greater. 

Burckhardt Compression is well positioned to support this growth. With over 70 years of experience and around 500 compressors globally in CO₂ service, we have vast expertise in CO₂ compression. Our product portfolio places us as the go to company in the industry: the process gas compressor produced in Switzerland, India and China, and the fully balanced high-speed compressor exclusively produced in China. With production facilities in different parts of the world and a globally responsive service network, we can reliably support customers and respond quickly to the growing demand for CCUS projects.

¹ Source: Sustainable Development Scenario, International Energy Agency
² Source: Global CCUS Build-out Tracker, Renewable Vision