Abstract
by unveiling the carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) pilot demonstration research site on August
30, 2024. The CCUS approach is to form part of the Integrated Resource Plan as one of the critical aspects of
the country’ s energy mix. This puts CCUS at the forefront of the adoption of clean energy initiatives. This paper
reviews the progress on CCUS initiatives in South Africa since the publication of the 2010 technical report
on the geological storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) with a focus on onshore sequestration. The focus is on the
current status, future opportunities, and the possibility of developing numerical models and simulations of
various South African coal ranks to simulate CO2 sequestration potential with reference to the related literature.
The paper also delves into the ongoing Leandra pilot CCS demonstration project in Mpumalanga Province,
the status of the identified unmineable coalfields available for CCS in South Africa, collaborations, and
future prospects for CCS in the country. The purpose is to contribute to advancing the local CCS technology
and mitigating anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Through this review paper, it is established that promoting the
advancement and implementation of CCS in South Africa requires continuous advanced research activities
from scholars and private and government institutions because of the critical need to understand the fluid induced
response of geological formations, especially coal formations, for the secure and effective application of
this sequestration method.