Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 1 hr ago
Underground carbon storage reached a record 43.6 million metric tons in 2024
A global register recorded 43.6 million metric tons of CO₂ stored underground in 2024, a record for one year.
The register covered 70 projects in 17 countries, and the United States had the most projects, storing 22.3 million metric tons through 23 projects.
Brazil’s Santos Basin project was the largest individual project, storing 15.7 million metric tons in 2024.
Geological storage captures CO₂ from industry, power generation or the air and injects it into underground rock formations, where it can remain trapped for thousands of years.
Annual storage more than doubled between 2016 and 2024, but the researchers say much greater capacity will be needed.
Storage must reach at least 1.1 billion US tons a year by 2050 to help meet the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C climate target.
The register also revised earlier totals and said some storage accounting remains uncertain; it reported incomplete 2025 figures, so a full comparison with 2024 is not yet available.
Underground geological carbon dioxide storage reached a reported record of 43.6 million metric tons in 2024, according to the 2026 London Register of Subsurface CO₂ Storage.
The register covers 70 projects in 17 countries across six continents.
The United States had the most projects, while Brazil’s Petrobras Santos Basin project was the largest individual project.
The report says annual reported storage more than doubled between 2016 and 2024.
Researchers say storage must expand to about one billion metric tons or more per year by 2050 to meet the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C goal.
- Who
- The London Register of Subsurface CO₂ Storage, led by researchers at Imperial College London, reported the figures.
- What
- Geological storage reached 43.6 million metric tons of CO₂ in 2024, a reported annual record.
- When
- In 2024; the figures appeared in the register’s 2026 annual report.
- Where
- At underground storage projects in 17 countries across six continents.
- Why
- CO₂ is captured from industrial sources, power generation or the atmosphere and injected into rock formations. The report says storage needs to scale up to help meet climate goals.
Researchers calling for expanded geological storage
Environmental groups
Climate role
Researchers calling for expanded geological storage
Researchers say geological storage is a demonstrated large-scale mitigation technology and must expand to meet climate goals.
Environmental groups
Environmental groups cited by n-tv consider the technology expensive and risky.
Annual reported underground CO₂ storage was 23.1 million US tons, according to the register.
Reported geological CO₂ storage reached 43.6 million metric tons, a record.
The Northern Lights project in Norway began storing CO₂, according to n-tv.
The register’s annual report presented the 2024 figures and coverage of 70 projects in 17 countries.
- 2024 global storage
- 43.6 million metric tons of CO₂
- Projects covered
- 70
- Countries covered
- 17
- United States
- 23 projects; reported storage figures differ between sources: 22.3 million US tons in Interesting Engineering and 20.2 million metric tons in n-tv
- Largest individual project
- Petrobras Santos Basin, Brazil; reported 15.7 million US tons in Interesting Engineering and 14.2 million metric tons in n-tv
- 2050 scale cited
- About one billion metric tons or more per year, according to n-tv
3 sources
What people are saying
Our latest report shows that geological CO₂ storage has become a global enterprise, with annual reported storage more than doubling between 2016 and 2024
The consistency of these operations, and the fact that new countries and projects continue to join the Register, shows that geological storage is demonstrated as a large-scale mitigation technology.
Um das 1,5-Grad-Ziel des Pariser Abkommens zu erreichen, muss die geologische CO2-Speicherung laut allen Projektionen bis 2050 auf eine Milliarde Tonnen oder mehr pro Jahr wachsen
These revisions reflect the latest evidence, and we have been explicit in the report about where the accounting for reported storage remains uncertain