For carbon capture to take off commercially, considerable cost reductions are needed. There are a number of next-generation technologies under development that appear potentially game-changing, notably those where capture is inherently incorporated in the power generation process, eg chemical looping and the Allam Cycle.
For the existing fleet there is considerable scope for improving the energy efficiency of post-combustion processes by making use of lower grade heat and/or reclaiming energy usually lost elsewhere in the process. But these advanced technologies will need substantial government support if they are to progress beyond the pilot stage.
