CCS Europe Newsletter 

HEADLINE NEWS

👂The Commission is listening on CO₂ infrastructure and markets. The European Commission opened a public consultation on a legislative initiative on CO₂ transportation infrastructure and markets. This consultation is a sequel to the call for evidence which ran from July to September.

The Commission plans to propose the legislation in 2026, in what will be a critical step to enable large-scale CCS deployment, support Europe’s climate ambitions, and strengthen industrial competitiveness. Since they are listening, give the Commission something to listen to and respond to the public consultation here.

Council waters down 2040 target. After an overnight negotiating sprint, Environment Ministers agreed on their 2040 Climate Target — but at the cost of ambition. By raising international credits to 5%, the Council effectively lowers the EU’s domestic reduction goal to 85% and adds a biannual review clause that injects uncertainty into what should be a stable, long-term framework for investors.

Parliament now in the driver’s seat. ITRE backed the Commission’s 90% target, while TRAN failed to adopt its opinion amid divisions. That leaves ENVI’s vote on 10 November, followed by Plenary on 13 November, as the key moments that will determine Parliament’s final stance.

Better late than never - Belgium submits its NECP. More than a year and a half past the deadline, Belgium has finally submitted its updated National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP). This brings us one step closer to full EU unity on climate action

There is, however, one piece of the puzzle still missing - Poland. If we really mean business on climate action, we need all Member States to contribute and the NECPs are a stepping stone, which is why all Member States must submit their NECPs promptly because every plan counts in building a credible, coordinated path to a low-carbon Europe. Read the full Belgian NECP here.

OUR ACTIVITIES

🔮 Manifesting a low-carbon 2040. On 23 October, we officially launched our Vision for a 2040 Low-Carbon Economy a roadmap for the European Commission to achieve a truly low-carbon Europe by 2040. Our journey has six key stops: recognising and managing residual emissions, connecting captured CO₂ to storage, scaling up storage capacity, unlocking economic opportunity, driving demand for low-carbon products, and accelerating carbon removals across the continent. Join us and endorse our Vision.

🎸 Bergur is back on tour. This time, our Director hit the stage at the CarbonZero Conference in Bucharest, Romania, delivering a keynote that struck all the right chords. His message? Europe can’t hit net-zero without CCS - but the gap between ambition and action remains huge. With less than 1 million tonnes of CO₂ captured today versus the 280 million needed annually by 2040, Bergur called for clear regulation, smarter funding, coordinated infrastructure, and stronger national strategies to get Europe’s carbon economy in tune. See what Bergur said here. 

🔁 ICM Summit recap. Last month we said we really want to see you at the ICM Summit - and you did not disappoint. The ICM Summit, which we co-organised with CCSA and ZEP, brought together policymakers, industry leaders, NGOs, and national representatives for a full day of discussion and collaboration on the future of industrial carbon management in Europe. The overall message is clear: Europe has the talent, the technology, and the vision - now it needs political coherence, speed, and delivery.

CCS DEVELOPMENTS FROM AROUND THE BLOC

DESFA secures €169.3M for CO₂ infrastructure build-out. CCS Europe member, DESFA, has been awarded €169.3 million from the EU Innovation Fund for its APOLLOCO2-LT project - the company’s contribution to the wider Prinos CCS PCI initiative. The project will develop a dedicated CO₂ pipeline linking industrial emitters in Attica to the liquefaction terminal at Revythoussa, enabling cross-border transport and permanent storage of CO₂ from hard-to-abate sectors across South-Eastern Europe. Read our reaction on LinkedIn.

Norway switches on full-scale CCS from waste. Carbon Centric has officially started operations at its Rakkestad carbon capture plant, supplying liquid CO₂ from waste-to-energy with a capture capacity of ~10,000 t/yr—one of the first of its kind, according to Østfold Energi. The project advances both CCU and CCS pathways and adds real-world operating data to Europe’s growing CO₂ value chain. Read the full article.

Capsol Technologies ASA to test carbon-capture tech at European cement plant. Norwegian CCS tech provider Capsol Technologies has signed a rental agreement for its CapsolGo® carbon-capture and liquefaction system with a major European cement producer. Under the agreement, a turnkey six-month demonstration campaign will start in Q1 2026 at the producer’s plant. Full story here.