Scaling Europe's carbon storage capacity
Let's balance the carbon sheet
The world is shifting to a low-carbon economy, requiring major changes in how we produce and use energy. Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS) is an important technology in this transition with the EU aiming to store 250 million tonnes of CO
With current global capture at 45 mpta (IEA), scaling up requires government, investor, and industrial action.
Based on its groundbreaking pilot, the INEOS-led Project Greensand in December 2024 made a Final Investment Decision (FID) into its first commercial phase. Storage operations begin in September 2026. This decision paves the way for expected investments of more than $150 million across the Greensand CCS value chain to scale storage capacity.
Establishing a full CCS value chain, Greensand Future demonstrates to Danish and European emitters and industry leaders that large-scale capture projects are achievable. This could enable them to make the investment decisions needed to implement the kind of large-scale capture solutions that can help Denmark and the EU meet their climate targets.
With operations officially opening on 18th September 2026, Greensand is the EU's first full-scale CO₂ storage site in operation, establishing the EU's first full-scale CCS value chain.
Greensand Future aims to safely capture and permanently store up to 400,000 tons of CO
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The EU's first full-scale CO2 storage site in operation
Opening up European storage facilities and creating the value chains needed to scale CCS will be crucial in reaching EU's storage and, in turn, net zero target.
Greensand's 2023 pilot demonstrated the feasibility of cross-border, offshore CO₂ storage across the full value chain. Greensand is now the first CO₂ storage site in the European Union to reach full-scale operation, and establishes the EU's first full-scale CCS value chain: CO₂ captured at industrial emitters, transported to the CO₂ terminal at Port Esbjerg, shipped onwards with the EU's first dedicated CO₂ carrier vessel, Carbon Destroyer 1, and permanently stored offshore beneath the North Sea. Download the factsheet below to learn more.
Storing CO₂ in the North Sea
In its first commercial phase, Greensand transports and permanently stores up to approximately 400,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year. Over time, and subject to market development, customer demand, infrastructure expansion and regulatory conditions, capacity could increase to between 4 and 8 million tonnes of CO₂ annually, subject to the availability of captured CO₂ from industrial emitters.
Greensand is a full industrial CCS value chain built on a scalable platform, allowing for the gradual expansion of storage capacity as CO
A big moment for Europe's green transition
In 2023, Greensand completed its pilot project, demonstrating for the first time the feasibility of cross-border, offshore CO
The storage was officially celebrated on March 8th 2023 at the exclusive First Carbon Storage event in Esbjerg, Denmark. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission said:
This is a big moment for Europe’s green transition, and for our clean tech industry. The first ever full value chain for carbon capture and storage in Europe. You are showing that it can be done [...] This is what Europe’s competitive sustainability is all about.
The pilot proved the concept. On 18 September 2026, Greensand moves from pilot to full-scale operation.
