- On 18 September, His Majesty King Frederik X of Denmark officially opened the first full-scale CO₂ storage site in the EU. The Greensand CO₂ storage facility is led by INEOS Energy, with partners Harbour Energy and the Danish North Sea Fund (Nordsøfonden).
- The opening was attended by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Chairman of INEOS, European Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jørgensen, Danish Minister of Finance Peter Hummelgaard, Paloma Aba Garrote, Director of CINEA, and other industry and policy leaders from across the European Union.
- Greensand expects to store up to 400,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually in this first commercial phase, scaling toward a potential of up to 4–8 million tonnes annually at full capacity.
- Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Chairman of INEOS said "Europe will not achieve net zero by closing factories and exporting its jobs. We need solutions that allow industry to remain competitive while reducing emissions. Greensand proves it can be done. This is not a pilot project, a concept or a political ambition. It is a fully operational carbon storage business. The technology works. The storage is ready. The challenge now is creating the right conditions for carbon capture to grow quickly at scale across Europe."
- European Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jørgensen said: “Today marks an important milestone for Europe. With the launch, here in Esbjerg, of the first fully operational site for offshore carbon storage in the European Union, we prove that carbon storage is a practical reality. We show that we can move from demonstration to deployment. We set out a path for European industries: to continue their transition to a low-carbon future, while maintaining production, investments, and employment in our continent. And we open a new front in the existential fight against climate change.”
His Majesty King Frederik X of Denmark today officially opened the first full-scale facility for the permanent storage of CO₂ in the European Union. The opening took place at a ceremony at the Port of Esbjerg marking Greensand’s move into commercial operation.
For the first time, Greensand provides industry across the EU with the infrastructure it needs to transport and permanently store CO₂ and offers a practical route to reducing emissions without shutting down the industries that Europe depends upon.
The project, which is led by INEOS Energy alongside Harbour Energy and Nordsøfonden, demonstrates that carbon capture and storage is no longer a future ambition. It is now a reality.
INEOS will source CO₂ primarily from Danish biomethane plants. This enables the full CCS value chain to be established and operated using CO₂ volumes that are readily available, while capture projects across industry continue to develop and scale. Once captured, CO₂ is liquefied, delivered by truck to a dedicated CO₂ terminal at Port Esbjerg, shipped aboard Carbon Destroyer 1 - the EU's first purpose-built CO₂ carrier - and injected into the Nini West reservoir, a depleted oil field some 250 kilometres offshore, approximately 1,800 metres beneath the seabed.
In this first commercial phase, Greensand can store up to 400,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually. The site has been designed to expand significantly, with the potential to store up to 4-8 million tonnes each year as demand grows.
David Bucknall, CEO of INEOS Energy, says: "For years, CCS in Europe has been defined by plans, targets and ambitions. Today, Greensand brings the EU’s first full-scale CO₂ storage site and value chain into operation. It provides a foundation on which future Carbon Capture projects across Europe can now build."
Europe needs industry, not deindustrialisation
Today’s opening comes at a critical moment for European industry. Europe's energy-intensive industries directly employ almost eight million people and generate roughly €550 billion in value added every year. They are critical to Europe’s security of supply, providing the materials that society and depends on: cement for housing, roads and energy infrastructure; steel for power grids, wind turbines and defence; and chemicals used in everything from water treatment and medicines to cable insulation and electronics. These industries face growing pressure from rising costs and international competition.
At the same time, the EU is working to meet its own CO₂ capture and storage targets: 50 million tonnes annually by 2030, rising to 250–280 million tonnes by 2040. Europe remains far from that scale.
Too often, the debate has been presented as a choice between industrial competitiveness and climate progress. Greensand shows that is a false choice.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Chairman of INEOS, said: "Europe will not achieve net zero by closing factories and exporting its jobs. We need solutions that allow industry to remain competitive while reducing emissions. Greensand proves it can be done. This is not a pilot project, a concept or a political ambition. It is a fully operational carbon transport and storage business. The technology works. The storage is ready. The challenge now is creating the right conditions for carbon capture to scale across Europe."
Storage and transport is ready - capture can now follow
With the opening on 18 September, permanent full-scale CO₂ storage enters operation in the EU. The question that follows is how quickly the EU establishes the regulatory, infrastructure and investment conditions that allow industrial emitters to capture CO₂ at scale.
European Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jørgensen said, “Today marks an important milestone for Europe. With the launch, here in Esbjerg, of the first fully operational site for offshore carbon storage in the European Union, we prove that carbon storage is a practical reality. We show that we can move from demonstration to deployment. We set out a path for European industries: to continue their transition to a low-carbon future, while maintaining production, investments, and employment in our continent. And we open a new front in the existential fight against climate change.”
Mads Gade, CEO of INEOS Energy Europe, said: “Greensand starts with biogenic CO₂, but its significance reaches far beyond that first step. We are ready to expand capacity to receive CO₂ from industries across Europe. Greensand is open for business, and a new European market for permanent CO₂ storage can now begin to take shape."
Notes to editors
Imagery, B-Roll, Factsheets and Infographics can be found here
In addition, at the Greensand website: www.greensandfuture.com
About Greensand
Greensand is a world-leading CO₂ storage facility forming part of a full carbon capture and storage (CCS) value chain – capturing CO₂, transporting it by ship and permanently storing it deep beneath the seabed in the Danish North Sea. The project is led by INEOS Energy, with partners Harbour Energy and the Danish North Sea Fund (Nordsøfonden).
- Greensand expects to store up to 400,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually in this first commercial phase, scaling toward an expected 4–8 million tonnes annually at full capacity.
- In this first phase, the CO₂ entering the Greensand value chain comes primarily from Danish biomethane producers.
- A dedicated CO₂ terminal at Port Esbjerg, Denmark, provides temporary storage for liquefied CO₂ arriving by truck from capture sites.
- CO₂ is shipped from Esbjerg to the offshore storage site aboard Carbon Destroyer 1 – the EU’s first purpose-built, dedicated CO₂ carrier vessel.
- CO₂ is permanently stored in the Nini West reservoir, a depleted oil field around 250 kilometres offshore in the Danish North Sea, approximately 1,800 metres beneath the seabed.
- The integrity of the Greensand Nini reservoir in the North Sea has been tested by the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), and Greensand has received safety approval from the world-leading independent verifier DNV.
About INEOS
INEOS products are essential in the modern world. Incredibly versatile, petrochemicals are used in a wide range of end-market applications to save lives, improve health and enhance standards of living. INEOS Group is a global manufacturer of petrochemicals, speciality chemicals and oil products. Our scope of operations has diversified with the launch of INEOS Automotive and the acquisition of our professional sports portfolio including football, cycling, and Formula1. INEOS comprises of 28 individual businesses; we operate 148 facilities in 26 countries around the world employing around 23,000 people
INEOS Energy produces and trades oil, gas and LNG while developing carbon storage and other low-carbon energy solutions. The business is focused on keeping energy secure, affordable and reliable while building the infrastructure needed to decarbonise industry and support economic growth. Established in 2020 INEOS Energy oversees The company's exploration and production activities focus on onshore and offshore oil and gas assets in the North Sea, in the UK, Denmark and USA. In recent years, it has made investments in low-carbon technologies, including, hydrogen and Carbon Capture and Storage.
About Harbour Energy
Since its creation in 2014, Harbour has grown to become one of the world’s largest and most geographically diverse independent oil and gas companies. Today, Harbour has significant production in Norway, the UK, Germany, Argentina and North Africa. Harbour benefits from competitive operating costs and resilient margins, and a broad set of growth options including near-infrastructure opportunities in Norway, unconventional scalable opportunities in Argentina and conventional offshore projects in Mexico and Indonesia. With low GHG emissions intensity and a leading CO₂ storage position in Europe, Harbour remains committed to producing oil and gas safely and responsibly to help meet the world’s energy needs. Harbour is headquartered in London with approximately 5,000 staff and contractors across its operations and offices.
About Nordsøfonden
Nordsøfonden is the Danish state company tasked with generating value for Danish society by optimising the potential of Denmark’s subsurface assets. Nordsøfonden stands on two pillars; production of oil & gas, thereby helping ensure supplies of energy and raw materials, whilst at the same time participating in all licenses for underground carbon storage, where Nordsøfonden works to ensure reduction of emissions to the atmosphere.
Greensand is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
