FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE – Denmark marked a milestone in its carbon capture and storage efforts this week with the groundbreaking of a new carbon dioxide transit terminal at Port Esbjerg.
The facility is expected to play a central role in advancing the country’s climate goals and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The terminal is part of the Greensand Future project, which aims to cut CO2 emissions through capture and storage. Once completed later this year, it will serve as a key hub for liquefied CO2 transport and storage, supporting Denmark’s transition to carbon neutrality.
“This is a key milestone for the Greensand project and an important step in building a complete CCS value chain,” said Mads Gade, CEO of project operator INEOS Energy Europe. “Carbon capture and storage will be critical to achieving climate targets.”
The terminal will house six storage tanks, each with a capacity of around 1,000 tonnes of liquefied CO2. The carbon dioxide will be sourced from Danish biogas plants, transported to Esbjerg by truck, and stored temporarily before being shipped to the INEOS Nini platform in the Danish North Sea. There, it will be injected into geological formations nearly 1,800 meters below the seabed for permanent storage.
The project entered its commercial phase in December 2024 when INEOS and its partners finalized their investment decision. The total cost is expected to exceed 1 billion Danish kroner, or approximately 150 million U.S. dollars.
According to the European Commission, Europe will need to store 250 million tonnes of CO2 annually by 2040 to meet Paris Agreement targets. Carbon capture and storage is also considered critical to Denmark’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2045.
Experts say Denmark’s North Sea geology makes it well-suited for CO2 storage. If the country secures five percent of Europe’s carbon capture market, it could create up to 9,000 jobs and generate revenue of 50 billion Danish kroner.