17 March 2025

NEa grants first emissions permit for CO₂ storage

For the first time in the Netherlands and in the European Union, an emission permit has been granted to a project storing CO₂ underground. The Dutch Emissions Authority (NEa) issued this permit to the Porthos project, which will store around 2.5 million tonnes of CO₂ annually in empty natural gas fields under the North Sea from 2026 onwards. This marks an important step in the use of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) as a method to reduce industrial CO₂ emissions. A milestone for Porthos and an important step in the use of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) as a method to reduce industrial CO₂ emissions

Porthos emits hardly any CO₂ itself, but needs an emissions permit to participate in the European Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). Such a permit is not primarily a formal approval, but rather a set of detailed requirements to be met. It includes annual reporting to the NEa on CO₂ received and stored. Because companies supplying CO₂ to Porthos do not have to buy or surrender emission allowances for the captured CO₂, careful monitoring is essential. The permit stipulates how Porthos must carry out this process.

Prior to this emissions permit, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate (EZK) issued storage permits for the Porthos project. The State Supervision of Mines (SSM) monitors compliance with the associated requirements for safe storage.

Porthos is the first CCS project in the Netherlands and the European Union, but the NEa expects more initiatives to follow. Aramis is one of them. The Aramis initiative involves storing CO₂ in several smaller natural gas fields in the North Sea. This CO₂ is supplied through Porthos, via ships and a CO₂ terminal.

Globally, governments with an Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) are increasingly deploying CCS. Especially in sectors where CO₂ emissions are difficult to avoid – such as in cement production – CCS can play an important role. According to a recent report on Emissions Trading and CCS by the International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP, 2023), only the European Union and UK ETS systems currently cover the full CCS chain. The report also highlights that the cost per tonne of CO₂ for capture is often still (much) higher than the price of an emission allowance.

With this first emissions permit, the Netherlands is taking an important step towards large-scale CO₂ storage and is contributing to the 2030 climate targets.