INEOS Opens EU's First Full-Scale Carbon Storage Site in Denmark

The first full-scale carbon storage site in the European Union has opened in Denmark, according to INEOS, the UK-based chemicals and energy group. The Greensand CO2 storage facility, led by INEOS Energy in partnership with Harbour Energy and the Danish North Sea Fund Nordsøfonden, was inaugurated by King Frederik X of Denmark. This facility aims to store up to 400,000 tons of CO2 annually during its first commercial phase, with potential growth to 4–8 million tons per year at its full capacity.

INEOS plans to source CO2 primarily from Danish biomethane plants. Once captured, the CO2 is liquefied and transported to a dedicated terminal at Port Esbjerg, then shipped on the EU's first purpose-built CO2 carrier, Carbon Destroyer 1, to be injected into the Nini West depleted oil field reservoir approximately 250 kilometers (155 miles) offshore at a depth of about 1,800 meters (5,900 ft).

INEOS Chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe emphasized that Europe needs solutions allowing industry to remain competitive while reducing emissions, stating that Greensand proves it can be done. Ratcliffe further stated that the project "is a fully operational carbon storage business. The technology works. The storage is ready." He also mentioned the challenge now is creating the right conditions for carbon capture to grow quickly at scale across Europe.

Although Greensand is the EU's first carbon storage site, it is not Europe's first, as the Northern Lights project in western Norway stored CO2 volumes offshore last year, a project involving oil majors Equinor, TotalEnergies, and Shell.