In the Dutch climate agreement, the Dutch government underlines the importance of CCS in the mix of measures to achieve the climate objectives.

To achieve the climate goals, the amount of CO₂ emitted must quickly be significantly reduced. Industry must also become more sustainable. However, not all industry can avoid CO₂ emissions in the short term. Consider, for example, refineries, waste processing, chemical companies and producers of steel, fertilizer or cement.

CCS is one of the few ways in which this type of industry can avoid large amounts of CO₂ emissions in the short term and at relatively low cost, thereby contributing to achieving climate goals and remaining viable for our economy.

Various agencies, including the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), have included CCS in their sustainability strategy to achieve the climate goals of the Paris Agreement.

The terminal will be able to receive and supply liquid CO₂ via ships and be connected to empty gas fields in the North Sea via the Aramis sea pipeline. The terminal therefore offers a flexible alternative for the transport and storage of significant amounts of CO₂. This also makes CCS possible for emitters that are not connected to a CO₂ pipeline.

While CCS is new to the Netherlands, it has been successfully implemented elsewhere in the world for over 20 years. In Norway, the Sleipner and Snøhvit projects have stored more than 20 million tons of CO₂ beneath the North Sea seabed. Similar projects, such as Quest in Canada and Illinois Industrial in the United States, have been storing CO₂ for years. Globally, around 20 facilities are currently operational.  

CCUS includes both CCS and CCU.

CCU is an abbreviation of Carbon Capture and Utilization. This stands for the capture and reuse of CO₂, for example as a raw material in a new product.

CCS is an abbreviation of Carbon Capture and Storage. CCS means the capture and permanent storage of CO₂ (carbon dioxide). CO₂ is created by the complete combustion of carbon and carbon-containing compounds such as lignite, coal and natural gas. It can also be released as a by-product in certain chemical processes such as cement or hydrogen production. You can ‘capture’ CO₂ as soon as it is released and thus prevent it from entering the air. If the captured CO₂ is stored, for example in empty gas fields under the North Sea, this is called CCS.