Northern Europe's largest CO2 hub at Port of Hirtshals takes a significant step forward with support of 109 million DKK from the foundation.
The Just Transition Fund (JTF) will support the ambitious plans to make Port of Hirtshals the largest hub in Northern Europe for the storage and shipment of CO2 to empty oil and gas fields in the North Sea with 109 million DKK. The consortium behind Greenport Scandinavia, which receives the support, estimates that the storage and shipment of several million tons of CO2 can begin as early as 2025 or 2026.
The establishment of Northern Europe's largest CO2 hub at Port of Hirtshals has taken a significant step closer after the EU Just Transition Fund (JTF) chose to support the project with 109 million DKK. The funds from the foundation means that the storage and shipment of approximately 500,000 tons of CO2 can begin as early as 2025 or 2026. However, the potential is significantly larger in the long run. The Greenport Scandinavia consortium, which Port of Hirtshals is a part of, expects that the amount could increase to approximately 3 million tons of CO2 in 2029 if a pipe infrastructure is established for transporting CO2 to Port of Hirtshals. Moreover, if it is possible to integrate Danish and European infrastructure, the potential rises explosively to at least 15 million tons of CO2 in the early 2030s.
- We are naturally pleased that the Just Transition Fund (JTF) prioritizes supporting the ambitious project, which aims to make Port of Hirtshals one of the most important focal points for the storage and shipment of CO2 in Europe. The support means that we can, among other things, start establishing the facilities needed. We see the support as evidence that we are working on a unique project that can contribute to solving the enormous climate challenges facing the world, says Director Per Holm Nørgaard from Port of Hirtshals.
It is Greenport Scandinavia, a partnership consisting of INEOS Energy, Wintershall Dea, Evida, Biocarb Solution, Port of Hirtshals, Aalborg Portland, Greenport North, EUC Nord, Hydrogen Valley, and Energy Cluster Denmark, that receives funding for the establishment of the CCUS project (Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage).
The establishment of a CO2 hub at Port of Hirtshals involves transporting CO2 to Port of Hirtshals, where it is stored until it is shipped to the Greensand area in the Danish part of the North Sea. There, the CO2 is pumped into the empty oil and gas fields, where it is permanently stored. This method is considered highly effective, as CO2 storage is a significant part of the solution to climate challenges.
- We are in the midst of planning a significant expansion of Port of Hirtshals, and in this context, the establishment of Northern Europe's largest CO2 hub fits perfectly into our strategy. Making Hirtshals a hub for the storage and shipment of CO2 is obvious because our location is ideal in relation to the storage fields in the North Sea and our other plans to contribute to the green transition, says Per Holm Nørgaard.
Søren Smalbro, the mayor of Hjørring Municipality and vice chairman of Port of Hirtshals board, welcomes the substantial support from the foundation and the far-reaching perspectives of establishing the CO2 hub in Hirtshals.
- There is no doubt that the establishment of a CO2 hub at the port is of great importance—not only for Hirtshals but also for Hjørring Municipality and the rest of Northern Jutland. The CO2 hub plays a central role in the economic development of Hjørring Municipality and will undoubtedly create new jobs in our area in connection with the construction and operation of facilities at the port. In addition, Port of Hirtshals will attract new companies working on the green transition in the coming years, creating even more jobs, says Søren Smalbro.
Due to support from the Just Transition Fund (JTF) , Port of Hirtshals and the other partners in Greenport Scandinavia can now proceed with planning the physical facilities to be established at the port.