Denmark opens the world's first cross-border CO2 storage facility

According to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who spoke at the opening ceremony on Wednesday (8 March), the opening is an important moment for the green transformation and competitiveness of EU industry. The Greensand project is the first venture to engage in cross-border carbon capture and storage (CCS), by transporting CO2 from Belgium and injecting it into a depleted oil field under the Danish North Sea.

The project, whose first injection will take place on Wednesday, aims to safely and sustainably store up to eight million tonnes of CO2 per year by 2030, equivalent to 40 % of Denmark's emissions reduction target and more than 10 % of the country's annual emissions.

"This is what Europe's competitive sustainability is all about," von der Leyen said in a video address at the launch event in Denmark.

"You are showing that it can be done - that we can grow our industry through innovation and competition, while removing carbon emissions from the atmosphere through ingenuity and collaboration," she added.

The project represents a breakthrough in carbon capture, where CO2 is taken from one country and injected into another, said Brian Gilvary of INEOS energy, one of 23 organizations running the Greensand project along with other businesses, academia, governments and start-ups.

According to Gilvary, the energy transition will require carbon capture and storage "as a cornerstone" to achieving the world's climate goals. “It is impossible for the industry or the planet to get [to net zero by 2050] without carbon capture. So it's absolutely integral to what we're going to do going forward," he said.

The event is significant for Europe's decarbonisation goals, said the NGO Clean Air Task Force, which spoke to EURACTIV at the inaugural event in Denmark.

"This grand opening confirms the rapid progress Denmark has made in advancing carbon capture and storage projects and will play a critical role in showcasing the benefits of a coordinated effort to address industrial decarbonisation in Europe," said Alessia Virone, Director of EU Affairs at the Clean Air Task Force.

Growing interest in CCS
Europe is increasingly focusing on carbon capture and storage technologies as a way to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. This means that any emissions released into the atmosphere will have to be offset by an equivalent removal.

"The scientific knowledge is clear. Industrial carbon removal is an essential part of our climate toolkit," said von der Leyen, who called the Greensand project "an important step towards European carbon neutrality".

According to the European Commission's estimates, the EU will need to store at least 300 million tons of CO2 annually by 2050 in order to reach its zero net climate goal.

"My friends, without CO2 storage we have no chance of meeting the global climate goals," said Lars Aagaard, Denmark's Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities, who spoke at the conference.

At the EU level, funding for CCS projects has resumed after a gap of several years following the first series of failed projects. EUR 2.8 billion has already been allocated to 24 industrial decarbonisation projects under the EU Innovation Fund.

Carbon capture projects are likely to receive more support as part of the upcoming European Commission law on net zero industry, which is to be adopted on March 14. In a leaked draft bill seen by EURACTIV, CCS projects are listed as "strategic technologies" that can apply for special status to get faster authorization and easier access to finance.

"We have embarked on a mission to secure Europe's industrial edge, create good and meaningful jobs and fix our planet. Carbon removal is part of that mission," von der Leyen said on Wednesday.

The European Commission plans to publish a carbon capture, use and storage strategy this year.