British Neptune Energy has joined forces with Cape Omega for a carbon storage solution for industrial emitters across Europe. Known as Noordkaap, the project involves transporting CO₂ via vessels which are suited for injecting CO₂ in offshore storage locations.

Noordkaap’s aim is to deliver cost-effective, scalable infrastructure solutions in order to ”facilitate large-scale, flexible CO₂ transport and storage from multiple industrial emitters clusters,” the two companies write in a joint press release.

”CO₂ storage is a crucial component for meeting the EU’s climate goals and for a well-functioning CCS market. Both emitters and storage providers need to be able to transport CO₂ safely, and we know access to pipelines will be limited for some, so we are focusing on both types of transport to offshore storage facilities: piping and shipping,” remarks Chief Executive Officer of Neptune Energy in the Netherlands Lex de Groot. 

”CCS also supports Neptune’s strategy to store more carbon than is emitted from our operations and from the oil and gas products we sell by 2030.”

The plan is to set up CO₂ storage in Norway and the Netherlands at first. The project will also examine the opportunities for industrial clusters in Germany, Belgium, Scandinavia and northern France, the companies inform.

German utility RWE has already expressed an interest in exploring the opportunities presented by the CCS project. RWE has signed a letter of intent with Cape Omega and Neptune, with all agreeing to assess the possibilities for sending biogenic CO₂ from RWE’s biomass plant in Eemshaven, the Netherlands, to the Dutch part of the North Sea for storage.

”As RWE, we are currently assessing the possibility to ship and store green CO₂ from our biomass Eemshaven plant to offshore storage in the Dutch North Sea, resulting in negative emissions. Our ambition is to make this happen in 2030. That is why the NoordKaap project is such an interesting opportunity for us,” says Chief Executive Officer of RWE Generation Roger Miesen. 

Supported by partners Groningen Seaport, KNCC, Vopak and Return Carbon, the Noordkaap project is planned for operation in 2028 and has been submitted as an EU Project of Common Interest.