Carbon Capture and Storage

2023 was marked by new announcements of carbon capture and storage projects, notably the final investment decision for the Porthos project in the Netherlands, highlighting the growth of projects in the North Sea compared to the Mediterranean, which has been less active in this area so far. The CCUS Forum in Aalborg underscored the willingness of states and the EU to accelerate the development of this technology, notably through the development of an interoperable CO2 network across the Union and the initiative for a CCS observatory to monitor emissions in the cement and waste processing sectors. A public consultation was also launched to shape the EU's industrial carbon management strategy, a prelude to a pivotal 2024 for the sector.

In 2024, we will pay particular attention to:

1. The publication of the EU-level Industrial Carbon Management Strategy, with greater clarity expected on, among other things, the regulation and standardization of transport and storage infrastructure.

2. The finalization of the Net Zero Industry Act, whose proposal includes a target of 50 MtCO2/year of capture by 2030, and an obligation for Oil & Gas producers to contribute to this target.

3. The progress of numerous industrial projects currently in the FEED (Front-End Engineering Design) phase, the results of which will be particularly important in terms of expected capture costs, directly impacting the feasibility of capture volumes.

4. The emergence of new hubs and CO2 transport terminals, in collaboration between emitters and CCUS value chain actors, similar to the announcement in 2023 of the GOCO2 project in Western France.

5. Technological advancements in the field of Direct Air Capture (DAC), a potential game-changing lever in the CCUS sector but with uncertain development prospects today.