EU’s first full-scale CO₂ storage site opens in Denmark

King Frederik X of Denmark on Friday officially inaugurated the European Union's first full-scale carbon dioxide storage facility, marking a milestone in the bloc's efforts to decarbonize heavy industry without dismantling it.

The Greensand project, led by INEOS Energy with partners Harbour Energy and the Danish North Sea Fund (Nordsøfonden), began commercial operations at a ceremony at the Port of Esbjerg on September 18. The facility can store up to 400,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually in its first phase, with plans to scale to 4–8 million tonnes per year at full capacity.ineos+2

How It Works

CO₂ sourced primarily from Danish biomethane plants is liquefied, trucked to a dedicated terminal at the Port of Esbjerg, and then shipped aboard Carbon Destroyer 1 — the EU's first purpose-built CO₂ carrier vessel — to the depleted Nini West oil field roughly 250 kilometres offshore in the Danish North Sea. There, it is injected approximately 1,800 metres beneath the seabed for permanent storage.miningweekly+1

The reservoir's integrity has been verified by the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, and the project received safety approval from DNV, the independent verification body.ineos

Industry and Political Stakes

The opening drew European Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jørgensen, Danish Finance Minister Peter Hummelgaard, and INEOS Chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe, among other leaders.ineos

"Europe will not achieve net zero by closing factories and exporting its jobs," Ratcliffe said. "This is not a pilot project, a concept or a political ambition. It is a fully operational carbon transport and storage business."ineos

Jørgensen called the launch "an important milestone," adding that it proves "carbon storage is a practical reality" and sets "a path for European industries to continue their transition to a low-carbon future, while maintaining production, investments, and employment."marketscreener+1

The EU has set targets of 50 million tonnes of annual CO₂ storage by 2030, rising to 250–280 million tonnes by 2040 — figures that remain far from current capacity. While Norway's Northern Lights project began storing CO₂ in August 2025, Norway is not an EU member, making Greensand the first such facility within the bloc.miningweekly+2

Scaling the Chain

INEOS Energy CEO David Bucknall said the project provides "a foundation on which future carbon capture projects across Europe can now build." The company signaled that while the initial CO₂ supply comes from biogenic sources, the infrastructure is designed to receive emissions from industrial emitters across Europe as capture technology scales up. Mads Gade, CEO of INEOS Energy Europe, said: "Greensand is open for business, and a new European market for permanent CO₂ storage can now begin to take shape."ineos