Porthos has made the final investment decision. In 2024, construction of the first large CO2 transport and storage system in the Netherlands will start in Rotterdam. The Porthos system is expected to be operational in 2026. The gas fields in which the CO2 is stored belong to TAQA, one of the members of Element NL.
The Porthos infrastructure involves an investment of €1.3 billion. Now that the final investment decision has been made, Porthos will award the final orders to the contractors who will realize the project.
Porthos is a joint venture of EBN, Gasunie and the Port of Rotterdam Authority. Porthos provides CO2 transport and storage services to a number of companies in the port of Rotterdam. The companies Air Liquide, Air Products, ExxonMobil and Shell will capture CO2 and supply it to Porthos. To this end, they invest in capture installations themselves. Porthos then transports the CO2 through the port of Rotterdam to empty gas fields approximately 20 km off the coast. There, the CO2 is permanently stored 3 to 4 km below the North Sea bed. Porthos will store approximately 2.5 Mton per year for 15 years, for a total of approximately 37 Mton. Porthos is therefore sold out. The onland transport system that is being constructed does offer space for future CO2 storage projects.
Hans Meeuwsen, director of Porthos: “CO2 storage is crucial if we want to achieve the climate goals in the Netherlands. This investment decision is an important starting point for future developments in CO2 storage in the Netherlands.”
Ten percent less CO2 emissions from the port of Rotterdam
CO2 capture and storage (CCS) is a cost-efficient way to keep large amounts of CO2 out of the atmosphere in the short term. CCS is therefore an important pillar of the government's climate policy. Thanks to Porthos, the Rotterdam port industry will soon emit approximately 10% less CO2. At the same time, the industry is working on the transition to processes based on renewable energy and raw materials.
For the realization of the project, Porthos is working with TAQA Energy, the current operator of the P18 gas fields, and specialized contractors and suppliers such as Denys N.V., Allseas, LMR Drilling GmbH, Mannesmann Grossrohr GmbH, Corinth Pipeworks, Equans, Ensco Offshore, Van der Ven and Bonatti. They are jointly responsible for the construction of the relevant infrastructure.
The European Union has recognized Porthos as an important project for achieving climate goals and has designated it as a Project of Common Interest and made a € 102 million subsidy available for this.