Greensand Future shared: “Here she is. The first European built offshore CO2 carrier for carbon capture and storage – ready for launch tomorrow. Built at Royal Niestern Sander shipyard in the Netherlands she is a cornerstone in Greensand’s mission to deliver EU’s first full-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) value chain.” The launch, led by INEOS Energy and Royal Wagenborg, will facilitate cross-border CO2 transport and storage in Europe, with the event livestreamed at 11:25 CEST.
The vessel is integral to the Greensand Future Project, which plans to store up to 400,000 tonnes of CO2 annually in its initial phase, with ambitions to scale to 8 million tonnes by 2030. CO2 will be captured and liquefied at Danish biomethane plants, transported to Esbjerg port, and shipped by Royal Wagenborg to the Nini West reservoir for storage 1,800 meters below the seabed.
Greensand Future noted: “Starting in 2040, the European Commission estimates that the EU will need to capture and permanently store approximately 250 million tonnes of CO2 each year to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.” The project aligns with these goals, building on a milestone achieved on 8 March 2023, when it conducted the world’s first CO2 injection in the North Sea, proving cross-border transport and offshore storage feasibility. DNV later verified the safety of the project’s CO2 storage processes.
In December 2024, INEOS, alongside Harbour Energy and Nordsøfonden, finalized investment in the Greensand Future Project, establishing Denmark’s first commercial CO2 storage site at the Nini field. In April 2025, INEOS, representing Project Greensand, signed an agreement with Öresundskraft Kraft & Värme to explore storing CO2 from Sweden at the Greensand facility starting in 2028.
This initiative highlights collaborative efforts to advance CCS technology, supporting sustainable environmental practices and regional cooperation in carbon management.
