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North Sea Carbon Storage Begins!
18 Sep
Summary
- Europe's first full-scale CO2 storage site is now operational.
- The Greensand project aims to store millions of tonnes of CO2 annually.
- CO2 will be transported by ship from the Danish port of Esbjerg.
On September 18, 2026, energy group INEOS announced the commencement of its Greensand carbon capture and storage (CCS) project. This initiative marks the operation of Europe's first full-scale CO2 storage site, located under the North Sea seabed near an old oil platform.
INEOS chief executive David Bucknall stated that the project provides a foundation for future European carbon capture initiatives. CCS technology is recognized by the IPCC and IEA as a crucial tool for curbing global warming, particularly for hard-to-decarbonize industries.
The Greensand reservoir, situated off the Danish west coast, will initially store 400,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. INEOS plans to significantly expand this capacity to between four and eight million tonnes annually by 2030.
The captured CO2 will primarily come from Danish biomethane plants and will be liquefied and transported by ship from the port of Esbjerg. This development aligns with the EU's Net-Zero Industry Act target of 50 million tonnes of annual storage capacity by 2030.
Meanwhile, Norway's Northern Lights project, the world's first commercial CO2 transport and storage service, began its first injection in August 2025 and aims to increase capacity to five million tonnes annually by the decade's end.
