Gasunie, EBN, Port of Amsterdam and Tata Steel completed a research into CO2 capture, transport, storage and reuse (CCUS, Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage) in the North Sea Canal area, resulting that a CCUS network is technically feasible.
The partners named the study Athos, standing for ‘Amsterdam-IJmuiden CO2 Transport Hub & Offshore Storage’.
According to the researchers, there’s a variety of opportunities in the area in favour of the construction of a CO2 infrastructure with storage of CO2 in empty gas fields under the North Sea and reuse of CO2.
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In the near future, the parties will proceed to follow up studies to further develop the project in the North Sea Canal area.
The study revealed that companies in the North Sea Canal area have the potential to reduce emissions of 7.5 MT CO2 per year in 2030, via CCUS.
There are more than enough empty gas fields under the North Sea to store the captured CO2. For instance, three amongst the largest European ports, Rotterdam, Antwerp and Ghent, planned to capture and bury 10m tonnes of CO2 emissions under the North Sea in what will be the biggest project of its kind in the world.
Moreover, the study resulted to the fact that there are no technical barriers and no new technologies that need to be developed.
There are various initiatives and plans for reusing CO2 in the North Sea Canal area. The most concrete is the reuse of CO2 in greenhouse horticulture, there are also possibilities for mineralization and reuse in the form of synthetic fuels.
Concluding, further research is vital, to acknowledge the effects of Dutch government policy choices in the area of CCUS, the route of the CCUS network, technical specifications of the system, storage locations.
