Denmark officially opened the Greensand carbon storage project, marking the start of commercial operations at what project developer INEOS describes as the European Union’s first full-scale facility for permanent carbon dioxide (CO₂) storage. King Frederik X of Denmark inaugurated the facility at the Port of Esbjerg on September 18. INEOS Energy leads the Greensand project in partnership with Harbour Energy and Denmark’s state-owned North Sea Fund (Nordsøfonden). The project initially has the capacity to store up to 400,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually. However, the partners plan to expand this capacity to between 4 million and 8 million tonnes per year as demand for permanent carbon storage increases.
CO₂ Transported from Denmark to the North Sea
During the first phase, much of the captured CO₂ will come from Danish biomethane plants. After capture, the CO₂ will be liquefied and transported by truck to a dedicated terminal at Esbjerg. From there, the Carbon Destroyer 1, a purpose-built CO₂ carrier, will transport the liquefied carbon dioxide offshore. The project will then inject the CO₂ into the depleted Nini West oil reservoir, located approximately 250 kilometres off Denmark’s coast and around 1,800 metres beneath the seabed.
Greensand Supports Europe’s CCS Ambitions
The start of commercial operations represents a significant step for Europe’s broader carbon capture and storage (CCS) plans. The European Union aims to establish annual CO₂ injection capacity of at least 50 million tons by 2030. By 2040, the target could rise to approximately 250–280 million tons annually. While Greensand’s planned expansion would represent only part of this requirement, the project establishes operating infrastructure that industrial emitters could potentially use as carbon capture capacity expands across Europe.
CCS Targets Hard-to-Abate Industries
Carbon capture and storage is increasingly being considered for industries where process emissions remain difficult to eliminate through electrification or renewable energy alone. Sectors such as cement, steel and chemicals could use CCS to address emissions that are challenging to remove through conventional decarbonisation measures. Denmark and other North Sea countries are exploring the use of depleted offshore oil and gas reservoirs to establish a regional market for permanent CO₂ storage.
Industry and EU Leaders Highlight Project
INEOS Chairman Jim Ratcliffe said the project demonstrates how carbon storage can move beyond the pilot stage and provide industries with an additional pathway to reduce emissions while maintaining production in Europe. Meanwhile, European Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen described the facility as a step towards moving CCS from demonstration projects to larger-scale deployment. According to Jørgensen, carbon storage could help European manufacturers reduce emissions while continuing to support industrial production and investment in the region.
Reservoir Tested for Safe CO₂ Storage
The Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland has tested the Greensand storage reservoir. In addition, independent verifier DNV has provided safety approval, according to the project developers. As reported by oilprice.com, with commercial operations now underway, the Greensand project provides Denmark with infrastructure for permanent CO₂ storage and adds to the growing carbon capture and storage network developing across the North Sea.
