The Carbon Capture Race: Transforming the North Sea into a CO2 Storage Network
Key Ideas
  • Global CCUS projects need $196 billion in new investment by 2034 to meet industrial demand, with the Northern Lights joint venture leading in Europe and North America.
  • Equinor secures new CO2 storage licenses in the North Sea, positioning itself to create a CO2 storage network for European heavy industry by 2035.
  • Governments worldwide are incentivizing CCUS projects, with the US, UK, and Canada leading in funding, while Wood Mackenzie predicts growth in Europe and the Middle East.
  • Asia-Pacific lags in CCUS efforts, but joint ventures like the one in Malaysia aim to bridge the gap between capture demand and supply in key sectors by 2034.
The article highlights the escalating global demand for carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) projects, with a projected $196 billion investment required by 2034. Leading the charge is the Northern Lights joint venture in Norway's Øygarden, aiming to address industrial demand through innovative carbon injection and storage solutions. Equinor, in partnership with Shell and TotalEnergies, is at the forefront of this energy transition, securing leading roles in several key projects. Notably, Equinor has obtained new CO2 storage licenses in the North Sea, including the Albondigas and Kinno fields, and the Smeaheia license, enhancing the region's potential as a CO2 storage network for European industries. The company also expands its footprint to Denmark, exploring CCS opportunities alongside partners like Ørsted and Nordsøfonden. Governments worldwide are actively driving CCUS projects through incentives and subsidies, with regions like the US, UK, and Canada taking the lead in funding support. The EU's Industrial Carbon Management Strategy is expected to further boost European projects, while the US provides substantial financial backing through schemes like the Inflation Reduction Act. In contrast, Asia-Pacific countries like China and India are slower in adopting CCUS measures, potentially leading to a gap in capture demand and supply. However, joint ventures like the one in Malaysia, involving Petronas, TotalEnergies, and Mitsui & Co., aim to bridge this divide and accelerate CCUS infrastructure development in the region. Although the US currently leads in carbon capture capacity, the operational facilities only absorb a fraction of the nation's CO2 emissions. Wood Mackenzie's forecast underscores the need for global collaboration and investment to achieve the projected CCUS capacity by 2034. The article portrays a positive sentiment towards the growing momentum in CCUS initiatives, with a focus on balancing costs and benefits while driving forward the energy transition towards a more sustainable future.
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