The Netherlands/Denmark – Denmark and the Netherlands want to cooperate in the field of CCUS, the capture, use and storage of CO2. The Danish government announced this recently.
In an agreement, both countries emphasize the importance of CCUS if they want to be CO2 neutral by 2050. Denmark and the Netherlands recognize that regional cooperation and cross-border infrastructure are crucial for the development of CCUS. Danish climate minister Dan Jørgensen said: ‘The climate crisis cannot be solved by each country individually; transnational solutions are needed. With this agreement, Denmark and the Netherlands have agreed to promote the regional development of carbon capture, utilization and storage, so that together we can rid the atmosphere of some of the greenhouse gas emissions that are normally difficult to reduce.’
Porthos
Both countries now have major plans in the area of large-scale storage of CO2. In the Netherlands, the Porthos project stands out. Porthos, is a joint venture between EBN, Gasunie and the Port of Rotterdam Authority. Within this project, the intention is that CO2 will soon be transported to an empty gas field, twenty kilometers off the coast. There it will be stored at a depth of three to four kilometers under the sea floor. Various companies, including Air Liquide, Air Products, ExxonMobil and Shell are partnering with Porthos. Together, the companies will capture 2.5 million tons of CO2 annually from their facilities in Rotterdam starting in 2024.
Greensand CCS
In Denmark too, projects are taking shape. One example is the Greensand CCS project. A consortium is investigating how CO2 can be injected into the offshore Nini West reservoir in a cost-effective and environmentally safe way. The consortium believes the project could safely store up to 8 million tons of CO2 per year in the future, equivalent to a quarter of all Danish emissions. Wintershall is a core member of the consortium and has decades of experience in the areas involved.
CCS is receiving significant political support in Denmark. The Danish parliament sees the technology as a crucial means of meeting the country’s emissions targets. Project Greensand alone could potentially deliver all the CO2 storage envisioned in Denmark’s climate program.
