A project aimed at achieving a generally accessible transport and storage infrastructure into which multiple parties can supply CO2 is gathering interest from potential stakeholders.

The Porthos CO2 transport and storage project in Rotterdam, an initiative of EBN, Gasunie and the Port of Rotterdam Authority, is expected to be able to store 2-5m tonnes of CO2 per year in depleted offshore gas fields. The project organisation, Porthos said that “more than sufficient interest” has been generated through its Expression of Interest process to continue with follow-up studies for the project.

While the expression of interest is not legally binding, it helped obtain a clear overview of which companies are interested, and when and how much CO2 they are willing and able to supply. Porthos saw the process as an important indication of the demand for the construction of the CO2 infrastructure.

Bargain development

Work took place on the system design over the past year. The total investment cost for this is estimated at €400-500m, making this a project in which CO2 emissions can be reduced for relatively low costs in comparison with other reduction measures.

A decision on the realisation of the Porthos project is expected to be taken by the end of 2020 and largely depends on the importance placed on CCS in the Climate Agreement.

The EU has already recognised the project as a Project of Common Interest (PCI), which is why the European Commission recently made a €6.5m subsidy available for follow-up studies. PCI status has also been requested for the coming project phase.