CO2 Storage Plan Under the Northern Sea Begins Its Operations

• The Greensand project will start commercial operations in 2026.
• It aims to store up to 8 million tons of CO2 annually by 2030.
• Critics believe that CCS technology may be a justification for delaying emissions reductions.

North Sea, Denmark — The Nini oil field operated by the Danish oil company Nini, which was previously used for the extraction of crude oil, is now intended for the permanent storage of carbon dioxide under the seabed.

The chemical company INEOS intends to inject liquid CO2 at a depth of 1,800 meters into depleted oil and gas reservoirs. This project, known as Greensand Future, will become the first offshore carbon storage facility in the European Union, which will start commercial operations next year.

Initially, it plans to store 400,000 tons of CO2 per year, with the possibility of increasing to 8 million tons by 2030. INEOS Energy Europe’s General Director Mads Gade noted that Denmark has the potential for the storage of carbon dioxide equivalent to the annual emissions of hundreds of years of its own emissions.

The project involves agreements with Danish biogas companies for the storage of their emissions in the depleted reservoirs of the Nini field. In the Esbjerg port, there will be a terminal for temporary storage of liquid gas, as well as a specially designed vessel "Carbon Destroyer 1."

Proponents of the technology for capturing carbon dioxide assert that it is an important solution for changing the climate, as it allows for the removal of greenhouse gases and their deep storage underground. The European Union aims to develop storage of no less than 250 million tons of CO2 per year by 2040 to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

However, the technology is not yet scaled up, and it can only be used for oil production and captures only a small part of global emissions. Environmental activists argue that CCS is often used by the industry as a justification for delaying emissions reductions.

While INEOS is strengthening its focus on carbon capture, it is also planning the development of another previously closed oil field in the North Sea.

Tags: Europe/Energy/Ecology