7 questions about CO₂ transport and storage

Some industries can capture the CO₂ released by their production processes. The captured CO₂ can subsequently partly be stored (CCS) and utilised (CCUS). This way, these industries prevent the CO₂ from ending up in the atmosphere, thus reducing their carbon emissions. Here are seven questions and answers about this necessary technology as a temporary intermediate step en route to a carbon-neutral energy supply.

CCS stands for carbon capture  and storage. The CO₂ captured can be stored deep below ground, such as in empty gas fields deep underneath the North Sea bed. In some cases, the CO₂  can be put to good use. In fact, captured CO₂ is currently already used in greenhouses for the cultivation of fruit and vegetables. That is when it is called CCUS, for carbon capture, utilisation and storage.

The climate targets are clear. The energy transition has us working towards an energy mix without carbon emissions. CCS is one of only a few ways in which hard-to-abate and energy-intensive industries, such as refineries and chemical plants, can avoid large volumes of carbon emissions in the short term and at relatively low cost. Thanks to CCS, these industries can do their bit towards achieving the climate targets. 

What is even better than capturing CO₂ is for industry to actually reduce their CO₂ emissions. This means choosing renewable alternatives, such as green power or hydrogen, to replace fossil fuels and resources. However, switching to renewable alternatives takes time and produces insufficient gains in the short term. Therefore, CCS is not the end point, but rather a necessary technology en route to a carbon-neutral energy mix. We have to walk both tracks.

Gasunie is an energy infrastructure company. We have extensive knowledge and experience in the area of gas transmission and storage that we want to use for the energy transition. We can, for example, contribute significantly to the successful development of CCS as a necessary step in the energy transition, as also recorded in the Dutch Climate Agreement by the Dutch government, industry, and civil society representatives.

Capturing CO₂ and storing it underground is technically very possible. In fact, it has already been done safely in various places in the world. The Dutch government only allows carbon storage offshore below the sea bed, not on land. Needless to say, every project is subject to stringent safety requirements.

Besides the energy transition, there is another public interest: the infrastructure for CCS must be accessible to everyone. This is why Gasunie, being an independent party, is exploring ways to help Dutch energy clusters with CCS infrastructure, such as compression, terminals, transport, and storage. Together with the government and partners, Gasunie is working on a value chain that will yield safe, efficient, cohesive, and open-access CCS infrastructure for the Netherlands. 

The CCS/CCUS initiatives range from surveys and studies to more concrete projects, on which Gasunie always works together with partners. Here are some examples of these collaborations:     

• The Porthos CCS project sees Gasunie working together with the Port of Rotterdam and EBN. Porthos will be storing approximately 37 million metric tonnes of CO₂ over a 15-year period, i.e. around 2.5 million metric tonnes per year. The CO₂ can be stored in empty gas fields deep below the North Sea bed. In late 2021, Air Liquide, Air Products, ExxonMobil, and Shell all signed contracts with Porthos. More information: porthosCO2.nl  

• Currently still in the research phase, the Aramis project is a partnership between Gasunie and TotalEnergies, Shell, and EBN. The objective is to create large-scale CO₂ transport infrastructure to transport CO₂ from the Maasvlakte industrial area to empty gas fields deep below the North Sea bed. This pipeline will be laid based on an open access philosophy, meaning that the intention is thatAramis will make the pipeline accessible to other parties as soon as possible. More information: aramis-ccs.com 

• In CO₂next, Gasunie has teamed up with Vopak and Gate terminal to assess the feasibility of an independent terminal at the Port of Rotterdam that would be used to receive, transfer, and supply liquid CO₂ by ship. These facilities would include direct access to the Aramis CO₂ pipeline and storage facilities. More information: www.co2next.nl 

• In the Dutch province of Zealand and Belgium’s Flanders region, a study is currently underway into the feasibility of CCS in the Scheldt delta area (Carbon Connect Delta). The goal: to reduce carbon emissions by 30%, i.e. 6.5 million metric tonnes, per year. Gasunie is working together with Smart Delta Resources, North Sea Ports, and Belgium’s Fluxys on this project. More information: smartdeltaresources.com/carbon-connect-delta