Green light for Dutch carbon transport and storage project
Pamela Largue
Posted on: 17 August 2023
The pioneering CO2 transport and storage project in the Netherlands can now proceed after a positive ecological assessment.
The Porthos carbon transport and storage project in the Netherlands can now proceed after the Dutch Council of State ruled positively on the ecological assessment of the project.
A ruling by the Administrative Jurisdiction Division of the Council of State has confirmed that Porthos’s nitrogen deposition does not have a significant impact on nearby natural areas.
This decision paves the way for permitting, final investment decision, and for construction to begin in early 2024.
Porthos, which stands for Port of Rotterdam CO₂ Transport Hub and Offshore Storage, will see CO2 from industry in the Port of Rotterdam transported and stored in empty gas fields beneath the North Sea, thereby keeping that CO2 out of the atmosphere.
The project is a venture between the port and state-owned gas companies EBN and Gasunie.
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Porthos will store around 37 Mton CO2, approximately 2.5 Mton CO2 per year for 15 years and has been declared a European Project of Common Interest.
Environmental concerns
According to the Council of State, it was important to assess the impact of nitrogen emissions that would result from developing the Porthos. The finding was that the project does "lead to a temporary and limited increase in nitrogen emissions on parts of the surrounding Natura 2000 areas, which varies between 0.01 mol and 0.57 mol nitrogen per hectare per year."
However, analysis of the data has led to the ministers finding that no significant, long terms consequences will be caused and all requirements for nature conservation laws are met.
Rob Jetten, outgoing minister for Climate and Energy in the Netherlands reportedly stated that this is "important news for the energy transition and the climate".
An environmental group, Mobilization for the Environment (MOB) protested against the project citing that the nitrogen emissions would do more harm than good. However, Jasper Ros, Research scientist Carbon Capture at TNO stated in response to the objections: "While I fully recognise that nitrogen emissions are a big issue in the Netherlands at the moment, I think it would be a massive mistake to not continue this project."
