A new Imperial College London report says projects worldwide stored a record 43.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide underground in 2024, more than twice the 21.0 million tonnes recorded in 2016.
Published on October 26, 2026, the report tracks carbon dioxide stored by operating projects worldwide. Its latest edition covers 70 projects in 17 countries across six continents. Geological storage means injecting captured carbon dioxide—often from industry or power generation—into underground rock formations.
The register records amounts projects report storing, rather than how much they plan to store. The United States accounted for 20.2 million tonnes in 2024 across 23 projects, making it the largest national contributor in the report. Brazil’s Petrobras Santos Basin Pre-Salt Oil Field was the largest single project, reporting 14.2 million tonnes, about one-third of the global total.
The register puts total storage at 421.7 million tonnes through 2025. It cautions that reports for 2025 are still incomplete. The register currently lists 36.2 million tonnes for 2025.
This is a preliminary figure that may rise as more project data becomes available. The 2024 record is therefore the latest complete annual figure in the register. It offers a snapshot of the amount of carbon dioxide operating projects actually reported storing.