As the global climate agenda shifts from ambition to execution, the race for scalable carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) is expanding far beyond its traditional hubs in North America and the North Sea. 

At the leading edge of this shift are South Africa and Ukraine – two nations anchored by heavy industrial legacies and carbon-intensive economies, yet uniquely positioned to redefine the economics and geology of permanent carbon sequestration. 

While operating under vastly different geopolitical landscapes, both countries share a critical imperative: they must aggressively decarbonize their core industries without dismantling the socioeconomic backbones of their energy systems. 

Ukraine could become a key destination for carbon dioxide emissions from Polish industry under a proposed cross-border transport and storage corridor backed by energy companies Naftogaz, Ukrnafta and Cquestra.

The CarpathiaCO2 project aims to transport emissions from Poland’s Lubin area to geological storage sites in western Ukraine, creating shared infrastructure to support industrial decarbonisation.

At a COP31 panel the partners shared they have signed a memorandum of understanding to advance the initiative and have submitted an application for European Union Project of Mutual Interest status.

The project’s approach will initially focus on assessing Ukraine’s geological storage potential, including containment and injectivity, before committing to infrastructure investment.

Regulatory reform will also be critical. Ukraine needs a carbon capture and storage framework aligned with EU rules, covering permitting, monitoring and long-term liability.

The country could potentially leapfrog more established markets by moving faster on regulation and infrastructure development, positioning itself as a regional hub for carbon storage and supporting Europe’s broader climate ambitions.

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