Rotterdam Porthos CO2-capturing starts construction in 2024

Porthos, the Rotterdam carbon-dioxide-capturing project given the green light in August, has entered a new phase. The final investment decision has been made, and in 2024, the construction of the first large CO2 transport and storage system in the Netherlands will start. The project will cost 1,3 billion euros and is expected to be ready by 2026.

Several companies – Air Liquide, Air Products, ExxonMobil, and Shell – will capture CO2 and supply it to Porthos. The latter will then transport the CO2 through the port of Rotterdam to the empty gas fields 20 kilometers off the Dutch coast. There, the CO2 will be permanently stored under the North Sea bed.

Empty gas fields

Over the next fifteen years, the Porthos project intends to capture about 37 megatons – approximately 2,5 megatons annually – or 10% of all CO2 emissions from the Rotterdam industry and store them in the empty gas fields in the North Sea. This will reduce greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere and help in the fight against global warming and climate change.

Nature organization Mobilization for the Environment (MOB) initially opposed the construction plans for a compressor station and CO2 pipeline, fearing damage to nature in nearby dune areas. However, based on objective data, the competent ministers have demonstrated that these natural areas “will not be significantly affected”.

The European Union has recognized Porthos as an essential project to achieve climate goals and has made 102 million euros available as a subsidy.