The University of Houston’s carbon capture researchers have reported major laboratory breakthroughs that reduce costs and combine emissions removal with energy storage.

The University of Houston’s carbon capture innovations target two long-standing problems in emissions control. One eliminates costly membranes that often fail in electrochemical systems. The other integrates carbon removal with grid-scale energy storage. Together, the advances aim to reduce emissions from power plants and heavy industry, sectors that remain difficult to decarbonize.

The research, published in Nature Communications, was led by Professor Mim Rahimi at the University of Houston’s Cullen College of Engineering. Two peer-reviewed studies published in August 2025 describe systems designed to retrofit existing industrial infrastructure. While the results are promising, the work remains at a laboratory scale.

The first breakthrough replaces the expensive ion-exchange membranes used in electrochemically mediated amine regeneration, a common method for carbon capture. These membranes are typically the most costly component and a frequent source of system failure. The research team instead engineered gas diffusion electrodes that achieved more than 90% carbon dioxide removal without the use of membranes.

According to Ph.D. student Ahmad Hassan, lead author of the study, the system could capture carbon at an estimated cost of about $70 per metric ton. That places it on par with today’s most advanced amine scrubbing technologies, while potentially reducing energy use and maintenance needs.

Removing membranes also simplifies system design. Fewer components mean lower operational complexity and easier retrofitting for existing facilities. Still, laboratory efficiency does not guarantee commercial affordability once systems are scaled up to an industrial level.

The second University of Houston innovation in carbon capture focuses on energy storage. Ph.D. student Mohsen Afshari developed a vanadium redox flow battery that absorbs CO2 during charging and releases it during discharge. The design allows the system to store excess renewable energy while producing a concentrated CO2 stream suitable for permanent storage or utilization. The work appeared on the cover of ES&T Engineering.

In theory, combining two functions in one device could improve efficiency. In practice, vanadium redox flow batteries remain expensive and have struggled to achieve widespread adoption. The research does not yet show whether integrating carbon capture lowers overall system costs compared to deploying separate technologies.

Scale remains the central challenge. Globally, carbon capture, utilization, and storage systems currently remove approximately 50 million metric tons of CO2 per year, roughly 0.1% of the annual global emissions. Climate models that limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius require billions of tons of CO2 capture annually by mid-century.

Only around 45 commercial carbon capture facilities operate worldwide, and most projects face long development timelines, high capital costs, and technical risk. Many proposed projects never advance beyond early planning stages.

The University of Houston’s carbon capture work faces these same hurdles. Carbon capture costs have proven resistant to the dramatic declines seen in wind and solar energy. Each installation requires custom engineering tailored to local conditions, which limits the benefits of standardization and mass production.

Policy support largely determines whether deployment happens at all. Without carbon pricing, mandates, or tax incentives, companies have little reason to install capture systems that increase operating costs. In the United States, federal tax credits have supported certain projects; however, policy uncertainty creates a risk for long-term investment.

Infrastructure adds another barrier. Large-scale deployment requires pipelines, storage sites, and community approval. Several high-profile carbon capture projects have faced opposition due to safety and land use concerns, resulting in delays or cancellations of development.

Supporters argue that carbon capture is essential for “hard-to-abate” industries, such as cement, steel, and chemicals, where emissions originate from chemical processes rather than fuel use. Critics warn that carbon capture can prolong dependence on fossil fuels if used to justify continued oil, gas, or coal production.

The University of Houston’s carbon capture team emphasizes that its research targets industrial sectors with limited alternatives. Rahimi says the work focuses on practical pathways to reduce emissions while supporting a transition to a low-carbon economy.

Whether these breakthroughs move beyond academic papers will depend on pilot projects, investment, and stable policy support. Laboratory success does not reduce emissions on its own.For now, the University of Houston’s carbon capture research represents incremental progress in a field that urgently needs scalable solutions. The coming decade will determine whether these ideas become commercial tools or remain promising experiments that never leave the lab.