In important research from Imperial College London, a new computational study has found that amine-based carbon capture could take as much as 99% of CO₂ from gas streams in a variety of applications without becoming cost prohibitive. Researchers at the Department of Chemical Engineering and Centre for Environmental Policy produced the findings, which involved study of monoethanolamine as a solvent. Until now, the assumption has been that 90% capture would be the practical limit of capture for cost reasons, but the researchers found that 95% could be achieved at virtually no extra cost, and 99% for less than a 10% increase in capital costs – something that would probably be offset by lower emissions (and the need, in applicable jurisdictions, to purchase carbon credits). As the researchers point out, this has important policy implications, with carbon capture becoming more viable for reducing even more emissions than previously believed – altering the shape of carbon budgets and considerations around technology selection and fuel use. The researchers intend to further their study by applying it to more advanced solvents to assess their effectiveness at higher capture rates.