1,460 Gt maximum carbon storage capacity in geological formations (IIASA study)

The maximum carbon storage capacity in geological formations is estimated at 1,460 Gt, according to an international study coordinated by the IIASA (International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis) and published in the British journal Nature on 03/09/2025. This newly-calculated amount is almost ten times smaller than estimates proposed by industry that had not considered risks to people and the environment.

" Almost all carbon storage scenarios would exceed the storage available in basins within existing oil and gas infrastructure by 2125 and would exceed the global limit for geological storage before 2200", the study states.

" The potential for geological storage of carbon is limited and this technology can only be considered as a complementary tool in carbon neutrality strategies", said IFP Énergies nouvelles, a contributor to the work, on 04/09/2025.

Optimal use of geological storage to eliminate carbon can limit the reduction in global temperature to 0.7°C, according to the study, while larger engineering and industry estimates had suggested much deeper temperature drawdowns…