CCS Europe Newsletter

April edition - web version

7 April, 2025

🔔 Hear ye, hear ye: Big news from CCS Europe HQ, as our indefatigable Director, Chris Davies, has officially retired from the helm of our campaign at the grand old age of 71. Chris leaves us after two full-on years of establishing CCS Europe and having driven CCS right up the EU’s political agenda.

Legacy: Since he took up the cause, we have gone from strength to strength, gaining 12 members in 24 months. We have also seen the publications of the Green Deal Industrial Plan; the Net Zero Industry Act – with its legal obligations to identify CO2 storage capacity on EU territory by 2030; the Net Zero Industry Act; and most recently the Clean Industrial Deal – all of which bring CCS to the fore.

In his own words: ‘I step down knowing that there are three commercial-scale carbon capture plants in operation within the EU, with the CO2 sent for horticultural or food production. There are seven or eight sizeable plants under construction that will send captured CO2 for permanent storage in rock formations deep underground. I’m encouraged that the Net Zero Industry Act (thank you DG CLIMA) requires 50 million tonnes of CO2 storage capacity to be created by 2030.’ Check out his parting message in full.

But it’s not ‘Adieu’ just yet: Chris will stay on as Senior Adviser to CCS Europe, because he remains just too indefatigable for the quiet life.

Step forward, Bergur Løkke Rasmussen! Our new Director took over the reins from Chris as of 1 April. The former MEP hails from Denmark and he is champing at the bit to make CCS happen. In his welcome address, he emphasises the need to turn political momentum into action: ‘Reports, economic models and legal targets are very important. But unless and until we are sequestering CO2 at the required scale of hundreds of millions of tonnes, they risk being paper tigers.’ Read his first blog post as CCS Director in full.

But enough about our news. Spring has sprung… and so have the latest developments in carbon capture and storage. Let's dive into the whirlwind of March's events without further ado! 🚀🧾

This edition of the newsletter is approx. 1100 words long, or circa 7 minutes' reading time. Read on! 👇

HEADLINE NEWS

Commission revises State Aid rules - CCS in the mix. The European Commission has proposed revisions to State Aid rules, finally giving CCS some well-deserved recognition. While it's great to see CCS no longer being treated like the "ugly duckling" of the energy world, there's still some nurturing to do to ensure it matures into an elegant swan.

Steel Metals Action Plan: a nod to CCS. The Commission’s shiny new Steel Metals Action Plan gives CCS a modest two shoutouts. It’s something - but let’s be honest, we were hoping for more of a standing ovation. CCS is acknowledged as a relevant tool to help green the steel and metals sectors, and the plan promises to support it in a “technologically neutral” way. That includes emission reductions - even if they’re incremental - and financial incentives for CCS equipment. Helpful, yes. Game-changing? Not quite yet.

100 Days Later… where’s the CCS Plan? Despite hyping up the Clean Industrial Deal as a cornerstone of industrial decarbonisation, CCS has barely made it into the script. Two words: missed opportunity. CCS Europe’s outgoing Director Chris Davies didn’t mince words, calling out the lack of clarity, leadership, and urgency in a pointed statement. Read it in full.

CCS makes the cut in EP’s resolution on energy-intensive industries! Thanks to key MEPs and party amendments, CCS is officially recognised as crucial for hard-to-abate sectors. A win for realism - and European competitiveness. Read our reaction.

OUR ACTIVITIES

CCS Europe hit the March meeting marathon 🏃‍♀️💨 From Hungary to Luxembourg, and a major sit-down with DG CLIMA, we’ve been busy making the CCS case to EU policymakers. Encouraging signs: growing interest, a nod to legal frameworks, and a Commission keen on coordination. More convos to come!

Banking on CCS 💶 CCS Europe Chair Rodolphe Nicolle joined IOGP’s CCS workshop to talk investment—and why we need a CCS Bank to de-risk the money side. His message? One-size-fits-none, CO₂ specs must align, and EU–national coordination is a must. Our recs still stand.

No excuses left 📉At SINTEF’s CCS Innovation Kick-Off, Chris Davies reminded us: the Commission’s own numbers say CCS is indispensable. The tech’s ready - but it needs clear leadership and policy muscle to match.

CCS DEVELOPMENTS FROM AROUND THE BLOC

Denmark's CCS Fund Oversubscribed: The Danish Energy Agency received 16 applications during the pre-qualification stage of its DKK 28.7 billion (€3.8bn) Carbon Capture and Storage Fund. (Inspiratia):

Germany's €5bn Decarbonisation Scheme Approved: The European Commission approved a €5bn German scheme to help companies decarbonise production processes using technologies like CCUS. (Enerdata)

EU Grants Repsol €205M for Offshore CO₂ Storage: The European Commission is funding Repsol's proposed CO₂ storage project off the coast of Tarragona with €205 million. (Carbon Herald)

Orlen and Equinor Partner in Poland: Poland’s Orlen and Norway’s Equinor are collaborating to explore opportunities in CCS technology, including identifying potential CO₂ storage sites. (Enerdata)

Carbon capture takes off in Europe 🌍 Northern Lights and Stockholm Exergi just greenlit two massive CCS projects, scaling Europe’s carbon storage game. Northern Lights Phase 2 boosts capacity to 5M+ tonnes annually, while Stockholm Exergi’s BECCS plant will lock away 800,000 tonnes per year. Big moves—but if net zero is the goal, we need more, faster. Who's next? (Bellona).

LOOKING AHEAD: MARCH 👀

CCS gospel. Chris will be speaking at our upcoming webinar on how to decarbonise Europe’s chemicals sector, for the first time in the role of Senior Adviser. Details to come – follow us on LinkedIn to stay up to date.

The Carbon Capture Europe Summit 2025 lands in Amsterdam on April 29-30, bringing together 450+ leaders to drive CCS innovation.

📌 Innovation Fund deadline. The Commission’s €40 billion+ fund for cutting-edge climate projects closes applications this month. Got a revolutionary green tech idea? Now’s the time to apply.

📌 Clean Industrial Deal consultation – Brussels is rethinking its State Aid framework to help industries decarbonise. The consultation deadline is coming up, and expect plenty of debate on how much flexibility businesses should get (and how much sway France and Germany will have).

Spring has sprung, the policy gears are turning, and the race against the clock to achieve net zero isn’t slowing down - see you next month for more CCS action.