CCS is key to achieving EU climate goal. Here are five concrete recom­men­da­tions to make it happen

The EU must become climate neutral by 2050. In 2030, GHG emissions must be reduced by 55 % compared to 1990 levels. CCS plays an important part in getting there. The recent Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA) under-scores the EU’s commitment by establishing an objective of at least 50 million tonnes of annual CO2 injection capacity by 2030.

“The EU needs to move forward fast in the CCS area if we are to build an annual CO2 injection capacity of 50 million tonnes in just a few years. We need to capture CO2, transport and store it. This requires maritime and port infrastructure, faster permits, and smarter funding mechanisms. And it all needs to happen at the same time. There’s plenty of work to be done. And that is why we have gathered actors from across the whole value chain to point out five areas, where we need political action,” said Anna Vejlby Ib, Head of EU Representation, Danish Shipping.

The five recom­men­da­tions are presented by Danish Shipping, Royal Belgian Shipowners’ Association, Royal Association of Netherlands Shipowners, CCS Europe, The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) and the European Lime Association (EuLA).

“CCS targets do not deliver themselves. Svitzer works with emitters and geological storage providers to design CO2 infrastructure and has a coastal barge transport and storage solution ready to be built and operated. Without funding across the value chain and permission for cross-border sea transport of CO2, projects cannot proceed. If the EU intends to meet its CCS targets, the EU must act on the recom­men­da­tions of the CCS community,” said Sofie Skotting, Head of CO2 Transport, Svitzer

“With Project Greensand, INEOS is proving that CCS is a working climate solution. When we bring the EU’s first full‑scale offshore storage site into operation this summer, we show that it is entirely feasible to build and operate the full CCS value chain in Europe, from capture and shipping to safe offshore storage. Now the EU must act: We need support for CO2 capture to secure progress and permitting must accelerate. These recom­men­da­tions lay out the barriers we must remove to make CCS deliver for Europe’s climate goals,” said Mads Gade, CEO INEOS Energy – Europe.

It is essential that the entire value chain supports this effort in order to unlock and scale the full CCS potential in the EU. Through these recom­men­da­tions, the consolidated EU CCS value chain sets forth concrete solutions to specific challenges. The following five recom­men­da­tions outline how the EU can adopt a more flexible, market-based framework that aligns incentives, investments, accelerates deployment, and ensures that CCS can fulfil its essential role in Europe’s dec­ar­bo­ni­sa­tion pathway:

1.      Develop an EU framework for cross-border CO2 transport

2.      Accelerate timeframes for permitting and environ­mental assessments

3.      Create a CCS-focused financing arm under the Innovation Fund

4.      Create a single point of contact in the EU

5.      Preventing double penalties in the CCUS value chain through an EU-level guarantee mechanism

“With strong collaboration across the entire value chain, and between industry and public authorities, we can turn the CO2 sector into a European area of strength and create new green jobs, while bringing the EU closer to its goal of climate neutrality. By acting upon these recom­men­da­tions the EU can take a vital step forward,” said Anna Vejlby Ib.

Read the five recom­men­da­tions here.

Photo: Project Greensand