Belgium/Denmark – With the Greensand project, a group of 23 companies under the direction of INEOS and Wintershall Dea is offering the first cross-border, offshore CO2 capture and storage solution.

For the first time, Project Greensand demonstrates the viability of CO2 storage from capture at an INEOS Oxide site in Belgium to cross-border transportation and finally to secure and long-term storage in the INEOS-managed Nini field in the Danish North Sea. The 1,800 meter-deep storage location for the CO2 that was injected into the Nini field will be attentively watched.

Project Greensand hopes to store up to 8 million tonnes of CO2 annually in this region by 2030. According to the European Commission, in order for the EU to achieve its climate targets by 2050, it will need to store up to 300 million tonnes of CO2 annually.

The consortium

A group of 23 organizations, including companies, academic institutions, governmental agencies, and start-ups, known as Project Greensand, have experience in carbon capture and storage. Under the Energy Technology Development and Demonstration Program, the Danish government supports it (EUDP). CCS is regarded as a crucial technology for achieving the Danish net zero goal by 2045.

Storing CO2 in Denmark

The Danish subsoil is appropriate for storing CO2. Around 700 years’ worth of Danish CO2 emissions, based on present levels, could be stored in the Danish subsurface, according to The Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS).

The Nini field in the Danish North Sea is located in the broader Siri Fairway’s sandstone fields, which are at an ideal depth of 1.5 to 2.2 kilometers. It is geologically very stable and has kept gas and oil for more than 10 million years, making it a particularly secure location for long-term CO2 storage.