The past weeks, many were the companies interested in taking part in the Porthos CO2 transport and storage project in Rotterdam. The project is an initiative of EBN, Gasunie and the Port of Rotterdam Authority.
Mainly, the goal of the project is to achieve a generally accessible transport and storage infrastructure into which multiple parties can supply CO2.
The project has reported in the past that is expects to be able to store 2 to 5 million tonnes of CO2 per year in depleted offshore gas fields.
Porthos held a so-called Expression of Interest process in order to obtain a clear picture of which companies are interested in this, and when and how much CO2 they are willing and able to supply.
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Additionally, many companies have expressed their interest in participating. Although an expression of interest is not legally binding, Porthos sees this as an important indication of the demand for the construction of the CO2 infrastructure.
The system design of the project came into force the past year. Overall, the investment of the project is estimated to reach the €400 to €500 million, making this a project in which CO2 emissions can be reduced for relatively low costs in comparison with other reduction measures.
A decision on the realisation of the Porthos project is expected to be taken by the end of 2020 and largely depends on the importance placed on CCS in the Climate Agreement.
Porthos project is conducting an environmental assessment to clarify all spatial planning and other interests and to weigh these against each other.
In light of this, the draft Memorandum on Scope and Level of Detail (MSLD) has been available for inspection for the past two months. Two evening public sessions were held in Rozenburg and Oostvoorne in which 41 visitors were informed about the project. The c-MSLD precedes the production of the Environmental Impact Assessment, which is needed to request permits for the project.
The EU is interested in the project as carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) is considered to be an important measure in combatting climate change.
The EU has already recognised the project as a Project of Common Interest (PCI), which is why the European Commission recently made a €6.5 million subsidy available for follow-up studies. So-called PCI status has also been requested for the coming project phase.