System integration in CCUS initiatives: Current considerations in North European countries

• CCUS is related to systems and resources in ways that influence sustainability. • The management of system integration in CCUS is influenced by systemic effects. • Study adds insight on how actors consider CCUS system integration. • Five aspects of system integration consideration revealed through literature review. • System consideration profiles for actor types are outlined based on North European cases. The deployment of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies requires extensive interactions with existing socio-technical systems across the value chain, involving various input and output flows of resources. As the number of CCUS projects grows, it is essential to examine how these interactions are managed during the development and operation phases, with a focus on systemic effects. This study reviews scientific literature and investigates CCUS initiatives in four European countries to analyze how key actors perceive and address system integration. Through coding of data from interviews with 17 representatives across the CCUS value chain, the findings reveal substantial variation in how systemic integration is considered among different actor profiles, leading to a proposed typology of four approaches to systemic effect consideration. The study outlines implications for CCUS implementation and suggests areas for future research to deepen the understanding of CCUS systemic effects. These findings are particularly relevant for stakeholders involved in integrating CCUS projects within specific contexts and systems.