CCS Europe Newsletter 

HEADLINE NEWS

🧊 Cold shoulder for CCS? The European Commission dropped its long-awaited Clean Industrial State Aid Framework (CISAF) in June - and it’s a mixed bag for carbon capture. While CCS projects can get up to 45% aid intensity, hydrogen walks away with 60% and most of the attention. Worse? CO₂ transport and storage didn’t even make the invite list.

“Our message is simple: no CCS, no net zero,” said Bergur. We’re calling for parity across clean technologies, realistic timelines, and infrastructure inclusion to avoid bottlenecks and boost cross-border deployment. 👉 Read our full reaction here.

🎯 2040 target: high aim, mixed signals. The European Commission’s 2040 climate proposal is aiming for a bold 90% net emissions cut, but the devil’s in the (carbon) details. While CCS Europe welcomes the ambition, reliance on international credits and too much sectoral wiggle room risk undercutting real industrial decarbonisation.

There’s good news too: recognition of carbon removals in the EU ETS could open doors for CCS if paired with a firm priority on actual emissions reduction. “We need a framework that puts CCS at the heart of Europe’s strategy, not on the sidelines,” said our Director Bergur Løkke Rasmussen. 👉 Read our full reaction here.

Fluxys joins CCS Europe. We’re proud to announce that Fluxys officially joined CCS Europe on 1 June. As a major European energy infrastructure operator, Fluxys brings deep expertise in gas and CO₂ transport, and is playing a key role in shaping cross-border carbon networks - especially through its CO₂ infrastructure initiatives in Belgium and the North Sea region. What a great addition to our membership!

🏛️ ETS revision: CCS must be central. CCS Europe submitted its response to the European Commission’s consultation on the revision of the EU Emissions Trading System. While we welcome the Commission’s ambition, we emphasised that the revised ETS must do more to create real momentum for CCS deployment and ensure the system delivers on its industrial decarbonisation potential. 👉 Read our full ETS consultation response.

IDAA: Align ambition with infrastructure. Following our input on the ETS, we also submitted feedback on the proposed Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act (IDAA). Europe’s energy-intensive industries need clarity, access to infrastructure, and an enabling policy framework if they’re to lead the green transition. Our response calls for alignment between ambition and reality. 👉 Read our full IDAA consultation response.

💡 Innovation Fund: Unlock CCS potential. CCS Europe also weighed in on the evaluation of the EU Innovation Fund. While the Fund has supported early-stage projects, many CCS initiatives still struggle to reach financial close. We’re calling for targeted changes to unlock the full potential of carbon management technologies and ensure funding is fit for purpose in a net-zero world. 👉 Read our full Innovation Fund consultation response.

OUR ACTIVITIES

📍 Bergur wasn’t just dominating the media last month - he was everywhere. From Parliament roundtables to political festivals and pan-European panels, he kept the CCS flag flying high across the continent.

🏛️ EP energy-intensive talks. On 4 June, Bergur joined policymakers, experts, and industry reps at Renew Europe’s roundtable on the Draghi Report. His message was clear: no credible business case means no industrial decarbonisation. Without CCS, energy-intensive industries will struggle to stay both clean and competitive.

🎤 EU Carbon Pathways event. At our co-hosted event with Bellona on 5 June, Bergur kicked off discussions on unlocking Europe’s CO₂ market. From capture to transport to storage, he called for serious momentum to match the continent’s climate targets. 👉 Read his key takeaways here.

CCS goes Danish. On 12–13 June, Bergur took part in the Danish Political Festival in Copenhagen, chatting with key authorities ahead of Denmark’s EU Council Presidency. Visibility? ✔️. Policy influence? In motion.

⚡ Electrify and capture. On 16 June, CCS Europe co-hosted an EU Sustainable Energy Week webinar with CATF, featuring speakers from the Commission, Ørsted, Norsk Hydro, and more. The dual force of electrification and CCS took centre stage. We moderated a lively discussion on powering down emissions and powering up industry. Watch the recording!

All eyes on Norway. Bergur joined Bellona’s workshop in Oslo (16 June) to weigh in on the Net-Zero Industry Act - and stuck around for the Longship Launch Event (17- 19 June), a milestone moment proving large-scale CO₂ storage is well underway. See our post on the Longship event.

🎙️ And in case you missed it… CCS Europe’s Senior Adviser Chris Davies joined a heavyweight panel at Decarb Connect’s Amsterdam summit (3 - 4 June) to talk CCS scalability. As always, our former director brought insight, experience, and a sharp eye on the policy hurdles still holding Europe back. Check out our event takeaways.

CCS DEVELOPMENTS FROM AROUND THE BLOC

🏗️ Greece breaks ground on CCS. The Olympus carbon capture facility, backed by Heracles Group, just kicked off construction - marking one of Greece’s first large-scale CCS projects. With a €380 million price tag and prime ministerial support, this could be a turning point for carbon-intensive sectors like cement. (Carbon Herald)

🚫 EU science advisers say: no shortcuts. In fresh guidance to the Commission, the EU’s climate advisory board warned against relying on international carbon credits to meet the 2040 target. Their take? Focus on actual emissions cuts and scale up tech like CCS and direct air capture. No offsets, no excuses. (Financial Times)

🤝 Italy doubles down on CCS R&D. Baker Hughes and Politecnico di Milano have renewed their partnership through 2030, expanding into CCUS, hydrogen, AI, and advanced manufacturing. The goal: scalable decarb solutions—and a new generation of engineers ready to deliver them. (Politecnico di Milano)

That’s a wrap on June’s CCS dispatches. We’re pressing pause in August (even carbon capture needs a summer break), but we’ll be back in September with fresh updates and full steam ahead on our H2 activities!