Belgian gas network operator explores 1,000 km pipeline to Norway for CO2 storage
Belgian gas network operator Fluxys and energy company Equinor are investigating the construction of a 1,000-kilometre subsea CO2 pipeline from Belgium to Norway. This was announced by both companies.
The pipeline would enable CO2 captured from industry to be transported from the Belgian port of Zeebrugge to Norway, where it would be stored in depots in the North Sea off the Norwegian coast.
In Zeebrugge, the underwater pipeline would be connected to CO2 transport pipelines on land that Fluxys intends to build. CO2 from neighbouring countries could also be transported to the Norwegian storage sites via the pipeline. The CO2 may come to Zeebrugge by ship, but pipeline branches to the port of Dunkirk and to other countries in North-Western Europe are also being considered.
The feasibility of the project proposed by Fluxys and Equinor is still being examined. The companies expect to decide on the project in 2025. If the investment is made, the pipeline should be ready for use by 2030. It will be able to transport 20 to 40 million tonnes of CO2 per year.
The two companies call the project "a solution for large-scale decarbonisation in North-Western Europe".
"With our solid and complementary knowledge and expertise, we offer a reliable and efficient CO2 transport and storage solution for a wide range of emitters in Northwestern Europe," Fluxys-CE0 Pascal De Buck is quoted in a press release.
"This is essential for meeting climate targets and for the long-term sustainability of the economy."
The principle of CCS (carbon capture and storage) is one of the ways to reduce CO2 emissions and achieve climate targets.
(KOR)
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Fluxys' LNG terminal in Zeebrugge harbour, Belgium © BELGA PHOTO KURT DESPLENTER