Tracking CO₂ storage project
capacity in Europe
Geological storage of CO₂ will need to be rapidly scaled up to help Europe meet its climate goals. CATF’s European CO₂ storage tracker shows the target annual and total capacities that have been publicly announced by CO₂ storage projects across Europe. Capacity projections reflect estimated expansion rates between announced target milestones. Project expansion rates and final injection capacities are likely to be more constrained in practice.
- Storage capacity in the UK is currently unavailable to CO₂ from the EU due to regulatory barriers – primarily the legal separation of the Emissions Trading Systems.
- The scale-up of injection capacity announced by several projects is ambitious, and storage project development can take at least 5 years. Only two storage sites, (associated with Northern Lights and Porthos) are under construction today.
- There is significant uncertainty in the actual injection capacities that can be realised at a given site until more detailed characterisation has taken place.
Growth in CO₂ storage capacity (in MtCO₂/year) based on current project announcements
Announced CO₂ storage projects in Europe, scaled according to maximum annual injection capacity in MtCO₂/year. Areas in light green show regions of suitable storage geology as mapped by CO₂StoP.