From Source to Sink: System-Level Barriers and Integration Strategies in the CO₂ Value Chain

The field of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) represents a pivotal strategy for deep decarbonization across a range of industrial applications. Recent progress in capture technologies, transportation modalities, and geological storage options has demonstrated the technical viability of CCUS, but system-level deployment remains limited by persistent and interlinked barriers throughout the CO₂ value chain. Technical challenges—including high energy demands, operational complexity, and diversity in CO₂ stream characteristics—interact with economic bottlenecks and regulatory fragmentation, often undermining both the efficiency and scalability of CCUS solutions. Meanwhile, the misalignment between capture, transport, and storage infrastructure development results in underutilized assets and hinders coordinated emissions reduction. Growing evidence from emerging CCUS projects highlights that piecemeal or siloed innovation is insufficient; instead, integrated strategies are needed to overcome the interconnected obstacles stalling wide adoption.This Research Topic aims to critically analyze system-level challenges that arise across the whole CCUS value chain and to drive the discussion towards comprehensive, cross-sectoral coordination. The focus is on understanding how technical, economic, and policy barriers interact between capture, transport, and storage, evaluating their cumulative effect on overall system performance. Key objectives include identifying modes of aligning infrastructure expansion, establishing flexible and robust regulatory frameworks, and designing effective market and financing mechanisms. By investigating innovative models such as hub-based infrastructures, modular deployment, and digital monitoring, this Research Topic seeks to clarify the necessary conditions for transitioning CCUS from fragmented deployment into a cohesive and economically viable climate mitigation strategy.The scope of this Research Topic encompasses all stages of the CO₂ value chain, with particular attention to the integration of disparate components and alignment across sectors. It is limited to system-level challenges and strategies relevant to industrial-scale applications, while incorporating diverse CO₂ capture sources and transport modalities. To further this aim, we welcome contributions that address, but are not limited to, the following themes:• Coordination of capture, transport, and storage infrastructure development• Technical challenges in capture efficiency, solvent performance, and storage integrity• Institutional and regulatory frameworks supporting CCUS system integration• Economic assessments of investment, risk, and cost optimization across the chain• Innovative financing, market incentives, and risk-sharing mechanisms• Hub-based models, modular systems, and digital technologies for CCUS• Public acceptance, stakeholder engagement, and cross-regional collaborationWe encourage the submission of original research, critical reviews, case studies, technology assessments, and policy analyses that contribute to advancing system-level CCUS integration. Topic editors: Adekunle Omolade Adelaja, Hongwei Wu Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/78441/from-source-to-sink-system-level-barriers-and-integration-strategies-in-the-co-value-chain