Denmark Inaugurates EU's First Full-Scale CO2 Storage Facility 'Greensand' in North Sea

On September 18, 2026, energy group INEOS announced the operational launch of the 'Greensand' Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project in the North Sea. Located beneath an old oil platform off the Danish coast, it marks the European Union's first full-scale CO2 storage site and integrated value chain.

Location & Reservoir: The facility is situated beneath the depleted 'Nini West' oil platform, approximately 200 kilometers (124 miles) off the western coast of Denmark.

Storage Capacity: The project begins with storing 400,000 tonnes of CO2 per year in its initial phase, with plans to scale up to 4–8 million tonnes annually by 2030.

Supply & Transport Chain: Captured CO2 will originate primarily from Danish biomethane plants, liquefied, and transported via ships departing from the Port of Esbjerg in southwestern Denmark.

EU Mandate: Aligns with the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA), which sets a legally binding target of at least 50 million tonnes of annual CO2 storage capacity across the EU by 2030.

Climate Significance: Recommended by the IPCC and IEA to decarbonize heavy industries such as cement and steel manufacturing.

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS): A technology designed to capture CO2 emissions from industrial sources and inject them deep underground into geological formations to mitigate climate change.

Northern Lights Project (Norway): The world's first commercial cross-border CO2 transport and storage service, initiated in August 2025 off Bergen by Equinor, Shell, and TotalEnergies.

Denmark: Capital - Copenhagen; Currency - Danish Krone (DKK).

Q: Which country inaugurated the EU's first full-scale CO2 storage facility named 'Greensand' in the North Sea?

A: Denmark

Q: Which energy group operates the 'Greensand' carbon capture and storage project?

A: INEOS

Q: What is the EU's binding annual CO2 storage target for 2030 under the Net-Zero Industry Act?

A: 50 million tonnes per year