Port of Antwerp brought seven chemical and energy companies together at the end of 2019 to investigate the technical and economic feasibility of building CO2 infrastructure in the port of Antwerp.
With the project entitled [email protected] the partners aim to keep CO2 out of the atmosphere and as such to make a significant contribution towards the climate objectives, thanks to applications for capturing and utilizing or storing CO2.
With this financial support, [email protected] reaches a new milestone and can engage one step further. The consortium is also strengthened in its ambition to reduce the CO2 emissions within the port (18.65 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2017) potentially by half between now and 2030.
[email protected] is pursuing two pathways for cross-border CO2 transport infrastructure, one for transport via an onshore pipeline to Rotterdam and one for transport by ship to North-West Europe. Two subsidies for detailed studies - concerning an amount of around € 9 million are now granted under the European funding program for Trans-European Energy Networks, CEF.
In addition to this first step, a number of expression of interest applications are currently being prepared by the consortium partners for submission under the European Innovation Fund that will be a key enabler to support the development of the entire CCS value chain from capture to storage.
Port of Antwerp accommodates the largest integrated energy and chemicals cluster in Europe. For this reason, Air Liquide, BASF, Borealis, ExxonMobil, INEOS, Fluxys, Port of Antwerp and Total joined forces at the end of 2019 under the name of [email protected], to investigate the technical and economic feasibility of building CO2 infrastructure to support future CCUS (Carbon Capture Utilisation & Storage) applications.
Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO Port of Antwerp, highlighted that:
The time is now to make the transition towards a carbon neutral economy. Europe leads the way on a global stage. With [email protected], the port of Antwerp has the key to realize an innovative cross-border CCUS-project, a first of a kind in its concept and scale
Carbon storage is on the rise lately, with another project potentially receiving funds. Specifically, the European Commission has proposed awarding 102 million euros in funding to the Porthos project. The Porthos project regards the capture and storage of CO2 in the North Sea floor.
For a period of 15 years, Porthos will be storing some 2.5 Mt of CO2 per year, supplied by the Rotterdam locations of Air Liquide, Air Products, ExxonMobil and Shell, in the North Sea seabed.
This equals to 10% of the total emissions produced by Rotterdam’s industrial sector. As a result, the Porthos project will significantly contribute to the Netherlands’s achievement of its climate targets.
The European Commission plans to financially support the construction of Porthos because Carbon Capture and Storage is considered as a necessary measure to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius. Carbon storage also plays a key role in the recent Green Deal drawn up by the European Commission.
