Integrating carbon removal with energy systems reshapes industrial decarbonization
碳移除与能源体系一体化，重塑工业脱碳路径
Introduction
As global climate strategies evolve beyond initial decarbonisation targets, a new phase is emerging—one that focuses not only on reducing emissions, but on actively managing carbon flows within energy systems. In this context, the integration of carbon removal technologies with power generation infrastructure is becoming a defining feature of next-generation net-zero pathways.
This shift reflects a structural reality: even under the most ambitious renewable deployment scenarios, residual emissions will persist across hard-to-abate sectors such as heavy industry, long-distance transport, and certain chemical processes. As a result, carbon removal is no longer treated as a peripheral solution, but as a core system component embedded within energy and industrial value chains.
At the same time, energy systems themselves are undergoing rapid transformation. Electrification, decentralisation, and digitalisation are reshaping how energy is produced, distributed, and consumed. Within this evolving landscape, the coupling of power generation with carbon capture, utilisation, and removal introduces a new paradigm—energy systems that are not only low-carbon, but selectively carbon-negative.
引言
随着全球气候战略逐步超越初期的脱碳目标，一个全新阶段正在到来 —— 这一阶段不仅聚焦减排，更强调在能源系统内部对碳流动进行主动调控。在此背景下，将碳移除技术与发电设施深度融合，正成为下一代净零发展路径的标志性特征。
这一转变折射出一个结构性现实：即便在最为激进的可再生能源推广情景下，重工业、长途运输以及部分化工工艺等高难度减排领域仍将存在残余排放。因此，碳移除不再被视为边缘性解决方案，而是作为核心系统组件，深度嵌入能源与工业价值链之中。
与此同时，能源系统自身也正经历快速变革。电气化、分散化与数字化正在重塑能源的生产、配送与消费模式。在这一不断演进的格局中，发电环节与碳捕集、利用及移除技术的协同构建了全新范式 —— 能源系统不仅实现低碳化，更可实现定向负碳排放。
Carbon Removal + Power: From Parallel Tracks to Integrated Systems
Historically, carbon removal and power generation have developed along largely separate trajectories. Power systems focused on reducing emissions through renewable energy, efficiency improvements, and fuel switching, while carbon removal technologies evolved as standalone climate mitigation tools.
This separation is now dissolving.
A growing number of projects and policy frameworks are converging toward integrated models, where power generation assets are directly linked with carbon management infrastructure. This includes:
• Bioenergy with carbon capture (BECCS), where biomass-based power generation is combined with carbon capture to deliver negative emissions
• Gas-fired power with CCS, providing dispatchable capacity while reducing emissions intensity
• Direct air capture (DAC) powered by low-carbon electricity, enabling scalable atmospheric carbon removal
• Hybrid industrial hubs, where power, hydrogen production, and carbon storage systems are co-located
This integration creates multiple system-level benefits:
• Balancing variability of renewables through dispatchable low-carbon or carbon-negative generation
• Optimising infrastructure use, leveraging shared pipelines, storage sites, and industrial clusters
• Reducing overall system costs by combining energy and carbon value chains
• Enhancing energy security, particularly in regions with high industrial demand
Such developments signal a transition from technology deployment to system architecture design, where the interaction between energy and carbon flows becomes central.
碳移除与电力：从并行发展走向系统融合
长期以来，碳移除与电力行业基本沿着各自独立的路径发展。电力系统主要通过可再生能源、能效提升与燃料转换实现减排，而碳移除技术则作为独立的气候减缓工具发展。
如今，这种相互分离的格局正在瓦解。
越来越多的项目与政策框架正朝着一体化模式汇聚，发电资产与碳管理基础设施实现直接联动，主要包括：
• 生物质能碳捕集（BECCS）：生物质发电与碳捕集相结合，实现负碳排放
• 配备碳捕集与封存（CCS）的燃气发电：在提供可调度电力的同时降低排放强度
• 由低碳电力驱动的直接空气捕集（DAC）：实现规模化大气碳移除
• 复合型工业枢纽：发电、制氢与碳封存系统协同布局
这种一体化融合带来多方面的系统级效益：
• 通过可调度的低碳或负碳发电，平抑可再生能源的波动性
• 优化基础设施利用率，共享管线、封存场地与产业集群资源
• 整合能源与碳价值链，降低整体系统成本
• 提升能源安全，尤其在工业需求较高的地区
这些发展标志着行业从单纯技术部署转向系统架构设计，能源流动与碳流动的协同互动成为核心。
Industrial Transformation: The Rise of Carbon-Energy Platforms
The convergence of carbon removal and power generation is fundamentally reshaping industrial roles and business models.
Energy producers are evolving into integrated carbon-energy operators, responsible not only for electricity generation but also for:
• Carbon capture and storage management
• Emissions accounting and optimisation
• Integration of hydrogen and synthetic fuels
• Digital coordination of energy and carbon flows
This transformation is particularly visible in large-scale industrial ecosystems:
• Steel, cement, and chemical clusters, where emissions are concentrated and infrastructure can be shared
• Hydrogen valleys, combining renewable energy, electrolysis, and carbon capture
• Data center ecosystems, where rising electricity demand intersects with decarbonisation requirements
Insights consistent with analysis from the International Energy Agency suggest that achieving climate neutrality will depend not only on electrification, but also on system integration and carbon management at scale.
Digital technologies play a critical enabling role in this transition. Artificial intelligence, advanced sensors, and real-time analytics allow operators to monitor both energy performance and carbon flows, enabling predictive optimisation and dynamic system balancing.
产业转型：碳 – 能源融合平台的崛起
碳移除与电力产业的深度融合，正从根本上重塑产业分工与商业模式。
能源企业正逐步转型为碳 – 能源一体化运营商，其职责不再局限于电力生产，还包括：
• 碳捕集与封存管理
• 排放核算与优化
• 氢能及合成燃料体系整合
• 能源流与碳流的数字化协同调度
这一转型在大型产业生态中体现得尤为突出：
• 钢铁、水泥、化工产业集群 —— 排放集中且可共享基础设施
• 氢能产业示范区 —— 融合可再生能源、电解制氢与碳捕集技术
• 数据中心生态系统 —— 用电需求持续攀升，同时面临严格脱碳要求
国际能源署（IEA）的相关分析观点表明：实现气候中和，不仅依赖电气化进程，更取决于系统性整合与规模化碳管理。
数字技术在这一转型中发挥着关键支撑作用。人工智能、先进传感设备与实时分析技术，可帮助运营方同步监测能源表现与碳流动状态，实现预测性优化与系统动态平衡。
Case Insight: Industrial Digitalisation Enabling Integrated Systems
A practical illustration of this transition can be observed in solutions presented by ABB at the China International Import Expo.
Rather than focusing solely on electrification, the technologies showcased reflect a broader trend toward digitalised, intelligent energy systems capable of supporting carbon-integrated operations.
Key enabling capabilities include:
• AI-driven grid resilience and predictive maintenance
Advanced analytics enable early detection of system disturbances and failures, improving reliability in increasingly complex energy systems that integrate renewables and carbon management assets
• Smart electrification infrastructure
Digital switchgear, intelligent circuit breakers, and connected devices enhance grid stability and enable more precise control of distributed energy and carbon-intensive processes
• Industrial data platforms and digital twins
These tools allow real-time optimisation of production, energy use, and emissions, forming the backbone of integrated carbon-energy management
• Power-to-X (PtX) system integration
Linking renewable electricity to hydrogen, ammonia, and synthetic fuels creates pathways for combining energy production with carbon utilisation and removal
• Sector coupling across maritime, mining, and manufacturing
Electrification and automation solutions demonstrate how traditionally high-emission sectors can transition toward low-carbon and eventually carbon-managed operations.
This case highlights that the integration of carbon removal into power systems is not only a matter of infrastructure, but also of digital intelligence and system coordination.
案例洞察：工业数字化赋能一体化系统
这一转型趋势在ABB 集团于中国国际进口博览会展出的解决方案中得到了生动体现。
其展出技术并未局限于电气化本身，更反映出一个更广泛的发展方向：打造数字化、智能化能源系统，以支撑碳管理一体化运营。
核心支撑能力包括：
• 人工智能驱动的电网韧性与预测性维护
先进分析技术可提前识别系统扰动与故障隐患，在集成了可再生能源与碳管理设施的复杂能源系统中提升运行可靠性。
• 智能电气化基础设施
数字化开关柜、智能断路器及物联设备可增强电网稳定性，实现对分布式能源与高碳排放工序的更精准调控。
• 工业数据平台与数字孪生
这类工具可实现生产、用能及排放的实时优化，构成碳 – 能源一体化管理的核心支撑。
• 电转化学品（Power-to-X, PtX）系统集成
将可再生电力与氢能、氨及合成燃料生产相结合，为能源生产与碳捕集利用一体化打通路径。
• 海事、采矿与制造业跨行业耦合
电气化与自动化解决方案充分展现了传统高排放行业如何向低碳运营转型，并最终实现全面碳管理。
本案例表明，将碳移除技术融入电力系统不仅是基础设施建设问题，更离不开数字智能与系统协同的支撑。
EU–China Relevance and Strategic Implications
The convergence of carbon removal and power generation holds particular relevance for EU–China cooperation, given the scale, complementarities, and policy evolution in both regions.
1.Policy and Regulatory Convergence
• The EU is advancing frameworks for carbon removal certification and integrating negative emissions into climate policy instruments
• China is expanding its national carbon market and exploring pathways for incorporating carbon sinks and removal technologies
This creates space for methodology alignment and mutual recognition mechanisms.
2.Infrastructure and Industrial Cooperation
• Joint development of CCUS clusters, hydrogen corridors, and integrated energy systems
• Collaboration in grid modernisation and cross-sector electrification
3.Technology and Value Chain Synergies
• European expertise in regulation, standards, and carbon accounting
• Chinese capabilities in large-scale deployment and infrastructure delivery
Together, these strengths can accelerate the commercialisation of integrated carbon-energy solutions.
4.Platform-Based Cooperation Models
The development of multi-stakeholder platforms, involving industry, academia, and policymakers, will be essential to coordinate complex system integration across borders.
中欧关联性与战略意义
碳移除与电力产业的融合发展，对中欧合作具有特殊重要意义，这源于双方市场体量、产业互补性及政策演进方向。
1. 政策与监管协同
• 欧盟正加快构建碳移除认证体系，并将负碳排放纳入气候政策工具
• 中国持续扩大全国碳市场覆盖范围，探索碳汇与碳移除技术的融合路径
这为双方开展方法学对接、建立互认机制创造了空间。
2. 基础设施与产业合作
• 联合开发 CCUS 产业集群、氢能走廊及一体化能源系统
• 在电网现代化与跨行业电气化领域开展协作
3. 技术与价值链协同
• 欧洲在法规、标准及碳核算方面具备专业优势
• 中国在规模化推广与基础设施建设方面能力突出
双方优势互补，可加速碳 – 能源一体化解决方案的商业化落地。
4. 平台化合作模式
构建涵盖产业界、学术界与政策制定者的多方利益相关平台，对跨国协调复杂的系统集成工作至关重要。
Facilitate exchange on CCUS and carbon removal business models
As carbon removal technologies move from pilot phase to early commercial deployment, the question of scalable and bankable business models is becoming increasingly central. In particular, carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) is emerging as a key bridge between industrial decarbonisation and carbon management systems.
Current developments indicate that viable CCUS business models are typically structured around a combination of:
• Carbon pricing and compliance markets, providing baseline revenue signals
• Long-term offtake agreements, particularly for captured CO₂ in industrial applications
• Public-private partnerships, reducing upfront infrastructure risks
• Cluster-based infrastructure models, enabling shared transport and storage networks
In this context, facilitating structured dialogue between Europe and China is critical. The EU has accumulated experience in regulatory frameworks, cross-border CO₂ transport, and storage certification, while China offers strong capabilities in large-scale infrastructure deployment and industrial integration.
Energy companies such as Eni illustrate this transition. Through its CCUS initiatives, Eni is developing integrated models that combine capture, transport, and offshore storage, while aligning with broader energy transition strategies, including hydrogen and circular carbon applications.
For CNEUCN, enabling knowledge exchange on CCUS and carbon removal business models represents a strategic entry point. By connecting policymakers, industry actors, and technology providers, such platforms can support:
• Alignment of commercial frameworks and risk-sharing mechanisms
• Development of replicable project structures
• Acceleration of investment-ready cross-border projects
This dimension of cooperation is essential to move carbon removal from policy ambition to industrial reality.
促进 CCUS 与碳移除商业模式交流
随着碳移除技术从试点阶段步入早期商业化部署，如何构建可规模化、具备融资可行性的商业模式，已成为愈发核心的议题。尤其是碳捕集、利用与封存（CCUS），正成为连接工业脱碳与碳管理体系的关键桥梁。
当前发展趋势表明，可行的 CCUS 商业模式通常依托以下组合构建：
• 碳定价与合规市场，提供基础收益预期
• 长期承购协议，尤其面向工业领域利用捕集二氧化碳的场景
• 公私合作伙伴关系，降低基础设施前期投资风险
• 产业集群式基建模式，实现二氧化碳运输与封存网络共享
在此背景下，推动中欧之间开展机制化对话至关重要。欧盟在监管框架、跨境二氧化碳运输及封存认证方面积累了丰富经验，而中国在大规模基础设施建设与产业集成方面具备突出优势。
埃尼集团（Eni）等能源企业的实践正是这一转型的体现。通过其 CCUS 项目，该集团正打造集捕集、运输与海上封存于一体的整合模式，并与氢能、碳循环利用等更广泛的能源转型战略相协同。
对CNEUCN而言，推动 CCUS 与碳移除商业模式的经验交流，是一个具有战略意义的切入点。通过搭建政策制定者、产业界与技术供应商的对接平台，可助力实现：
• 商业框架与风险分担机制协同对接
• 形成可复制推广的项目模式
• 加快具备投资条件的跨境项目落地
这一合作方向，是推动碳移除从政策愿景转化为产业现实的关键所在。
Conclusion
The integration of carbon removal with power generation marks a critical transition from isolated decarbonisation efforts toward fully integrated carbon management systems. It reflects a broader shift in climate strategy—from reducing emissions at the margins to redesigning how energy and carbon interact across entire value chains.
This evolution introduces both complexity and opportunity. On one hand, it requires new forms of coordination across infrastructure, policy, and industrial actors. On the other, it unlocks the potential for system-level optimisation, where energy production, carbon removal, and industrial activity are jointly managed to maximise efficiency and minimise environmental impact.
For global stakeholders, particularly in Europe and China, the challenge will be to translate this emerging model into scalable, economically viable solutions. This will depend on aligned regulatory frameworks, investment in shared infrastructure, and the deployment of advanced digital technologies capable of managing increasingly interconnected systems.
Ultimately, the convergence of carbon removal and power generation is not simply a technological trend—it represents the foundation of a new industrial paradigm, where net-zero is achieved not only by reducing emissions, but by actively shaping the carbon balance of the entire energy system.
结语
碳移除与发电系统的融合，标志着脱碳工作从分散举措迈向全面一体化碳管理体系的关键转型。这反映出气候战略的深层转变 —— 从边际减排，转向在全价值链中重新设计能源与碳的互动模式。
这一演进既带来复杂性，也蕴藏巨大机遇。一方面，它需要在基础设施、政策与产业主体之间建立新型协同机制；另一方面，它开启了系统级优化的可能，将能源生产、碳移除与工业活动统筹管理，以实现效率最大化与环境影响最小化。
对于全球各方，尤其是中欧双方，挑战在于将这一新兴模式转化为可规模化、经济可行的解决方案。这有赖于监管框架协同、共享基础设施投资，以及运用先进数字技术管理日益互联的系统。
归根结底，碳移除与电力系统的融合不只是一项技术趋势，更是全新产业范式的基石：实现净零不仅依靠减排，更在于主动塑造整个能源系统的碳平衡。
#CarbonRemoval #碳移除
#EnergyTransition #能源转型
#NetZeroSystems #净零系统
#CCUS #碳捕集利用与封存
#HydrogenEconomy #氢能经济
#DigitalEnergy #数字能源
#EUChinaCooperation #中欧合作
#IndustrialDecarbonisation #工业脱碳
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