King Frederik X of Denmark today held the inauguration ceremony for the first fully operational CO2 storage site in the European Union at the port of Esbjerg. This project, known as Greensand, has been launched in collaboration with INEOS Energy and its partners, Harbour Energy and the Danish North Sea Fund (Nordsøfonden).
Details of the Greensand Project
The Greensand project received exploration permission in December 2022 for the injection and storage of up to 15,000 tons of CO2 in the Nini West oil field. This project recorded the first CO2 injection in the North Sea on March 8, 2023, as a global event.
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INEOS, as the daily operator, and its partners made the final investment decision (FID) in December 2024 to invest in the Greensand Future project, the first commercial phase of the Greensand project. In December 2025, the Danish Energy Agency issued its first approval for the establishment of a fully operational CO2 storage site and authorized the Greensand Future project for CO2 storage.
Storage Capacity and Future Goals
King Frederik X announced at the ceremony that the Greensand site can store up to 400,000 tons of CO2 annually in this first commercial phase, and in the future, this capacity could increase to 4 to 8 million tons per year.
INEOS will primarily source CO2 from Danish biomethane plants. After collection, the CO2 will be liquefied and transported by truck to a dedicated CO2 terminal at the port of Esbjerg. The gas will then be loaded onto the Carbon Destroyer 1 ship, which is the first ship specifically designed for transporting CO2 in the European Union, and injected into the Nini West reservoir at a depth of about 1800 meters below the sea.
Daniel Jørgensen, European Commissioner for Energy and Housing, stated at the ceremony that this inauguration marks an important milestone for Europe. He said, "By launching this site in Esbjerg, we demonstrate that carbon storage is a practical reality."
He also added that this project provides a pathway for European industries to continue transitioning to a low-carbon future while maintaining production, investment, and employment on the continent. This initiative also creates a new front in the fight against climate change.
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