The European Commission announced its strategy to significantly boost industrial carbon capture, storage (CCS), and utilization capacity across the EU, marking a pivotal step in its quest to meet ambitious climate targets, including achieving net zero emissions by 2050.
Released alongside the Commission’s recommendation to set a 2040 target for the EU to slash net greenhouse gas emissions by 90%, the strategy underscores the imperative to scale up capabilities for capturing, storing, and utilizing CO2, especially in challenging-to-decarbonize industrial sectors.
The strategy outlines key objectives, including developing at least 50 million tonnes per year (mtpa) of CO2 storage capacity by 2030, with plans for substantial scaling to 280 mtpa by 2040 and further to 450 million tonnes by 2050. Industrial carbon management, encompassing CO2 capture from various sources, forms the crux of the strategy, with a focus on technological advancements, regulatory frameworks, and investment support.
The Commission’s approach emphasizes three main technological pathways: CO2 capture for storage (CCS), CO2 capture for utilization (CCU) as substitutes in synthetic products, chemicals, or fuels, and biogenic or atmospheric CO2 removal for permanent storage.
Recognizing the necessity of CO2 transport infrastructure, the strategy calls for significant investment and development of infrastructure, estimating the requirement of 7,300 km of infrastructure and over €12 billion by 2030, escalating to 19,000 km and €16 billion by 2040.
Outlined within the strategy are three stages of industrial carbon management envisioned for the coming decades: initial deployment of storage capacity by 2030, followed by economic viability for regional carbon value chains by 2040, with CO2 becoming a tradable commodity, and finally, post-2040 integration of industrial carbon management into the EU’s economic system, with carbon becoming a primary source for industrial processes or transport fuels.
In addition to infrastructure development, the strategy encompasses measures to stimulate investment and policy support, including the establishment of a platform to connect CO2 suppliers with storage operators, formulation of policies to encourage carbon utilization, and mechanisms for industrial carbon removals, potentially including integration into the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS).
