Capturing Carbon, Capturing Scale!

Shell and Technip Energies plan modular systems to speed carbon capture for Europe's heavy industries

22 Jul 2025

Shell and Technip Energies are teaming up to turbocharge carbon capture across Europe’s heavy industries, signaling a shift from pilot projects to large-scale deployment.

Unveiled in July, the partnership merges Shell’s CANSOLV CO₂ capture system, already active in over 30 sites globally, with Technip’s track record in building complex infrastructure. The goal: roll out standardized, modular carbon capture units tailored for industries like steel, cement, and chemicals.

The timing is no accident. With the EU tightening climate rules and carbon prices climbing, industrial emitters are under growing pressure to slash emissions. Traditional carbon capture has often been dismissed as too costly or complicated to roll out widely. Shell and Technip say their approach changes the equation.

“By combining Shell’s technology with Technip Energies’ execution capabilities, we are making carbon capture more competitive and actionable,” said Shell’s Executive VP Robin Mooldijk. Technip CEO Arnaud Pieton echoed the ambition, calling the alliance a step toward making capture “standard and scalable.”

Central to their plan is modularity. Instead of custom-building each facility, the companies will offer pre-engineered capture units that can be adapted on-site. The idea is to cut costs, speed up installation, and minimize downtime without sacrificing performance.

Skeptics still wonder whether one system can serve Europe’s diverse industrial landscape. But the companies insist their plug-and-play model balances standardization with site-specific tweaks.

As momentum grows around climate tech and EU decarbonization deadlines loom, the partnership could be a turning point. It reframes carbon capture not as a distant fix but as a near-term tool ready for action.

For industries that have struggled to decarbonize, the message is clear: carbon capture is no longer a science experiment. It’s arriving fast.