Zero Emissions Platform (ZEP)

How can Europe plan an efficient and resilient #CO2transport network? Today, high upfront investment remains a major barrier to establishing a European CO₂ transport and #storage network, especially for smaller players. Effective network planning can help minimise these costs, accelerate deployment, and expand access to emitters across Europe. It is also essential for meeting EU #climate goals, particularly given the current imbalance in project development between the North Sea region and the rest of Europe. This week, #CO2MarketMonday tackles the key considerations for planning Europe’s CO₂ network, and presents ZEP's recommendation: prioritising a resilient CO₂ network built at pace. ➡️ Slide through the carousel to learn more. ➡️ Read the full recommendation in our latest report: https://lnkd.in/e7DHdeiD

What are the key challenges for deploying CCS in Europe? And what are the upcoming policy discussions to watch to address them? Speaking at the gigaCCS conference in Trondheim, Eadbhard Pernot outlined three priorities to enable large-scale CCS deployment in Europe. 1️⃣ Expanding distributed #storage A major constraint for cost-effective CCS deployment is the limited availability of storage capacity across Europe. Recent analysis led by ZEP members Clean Air Task Force and Scottish Carbon Capture and Storage shows that around 90% of planned European storage capacity is concentrated in the North Sea region. Accelerating the appraisal and development of storage - especially onshore and in southern, central, and eastern Europe - will be essential to ensure CCS can deploy at scale across the region. 2️⃣ Securing viable cash flow for #capture projects The current European policy framework requires emitters to advance capture projects. Yet, existing mechanisms provide little additional cash flow to make these investments commercially feasible. Strengthening lead markets for low-carbon materials will be critical to differentiate these materials from conventional, emissions-intensive alternatives. The forthcoming #IndustrialAcceleratorAct can play an important role in enabling this. ZEP's policy brief outlines concrete recommendations ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eFuj8fKJ 3️⃣ Aligning the #valuechain Developing CO₂ value chains requires close coordination between capture, transport, and storage actors. Misalignment increases project-to-project risk and slows deployment. Governments in the UK, the Netherlands, and Norway have taken different, but similarly proactive roles in coordinating these value chains. Greater efforts are needed in other European countries to support the timely and integrated development. Further insights on the CO₂ value chain are available this report ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e7DHdeiD These challenges will shape several EU policy files in the coming months, including the Industrial Accelerator Act, the CO₂ market and infrastructure legislative initiative, and the forthcoming revision of the EU #ETS. ZEP will continue to provide policy advice to advance industrial carbon management in alignment with Europe's climate neutrality targets.

𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭. Recent exchanges during the European Parliament’s ITRE Committee public hearing on CCS and CCU underlined the strong interest in these technologies. Below are concise responses to some questions raised during the hearing. 1️⃣ 𝐈𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐭 𝐙𝐞𝐫𝐨 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐀𝐜𝐭 𝐂𝐎₂ 𝐢𝐧𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭? Not necessarily. Article 23(5) of the #NZIA allows obligated entities to meet their injection obligations anywhere in the EU. Location is therefore not a limiting factor: companies may develop their own storage sites or contract capacity from other obligated entities or from third-party projects. Most Member States have promising geological formations, though potential is not the same as characterised capacity. This reinforces the need for more research, exploration, and appraisal to unlock Europe’s full storage potential. Learn more about what the NZIA injection capacity target 👉 https://lnkd.in/etXCktkJ 2️⃣ 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐂𝐒 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐲? Yes, additional CO₂ storage projects are indispensable. The NZIA sets an EU-wide target for available CO₂ injection capacity by 2030, yet the current project pipeline falls short. Studies suggest capture demand could exceed storage availability by over 140%, especially in central and southern Europe. Learn about how the CCS market is expected to scale by 2030 ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eGFe8k-s 3️⃣ 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭? Early, open, and continuous engagement is essential. Insights from ZEP’s Projects Network in Ravenna point to three pillars for building trust: (1) Transparent communication on project benefits, risks, and processes. (2) Genuine dialogue with local communities. (3) Clear, jargon-free messaging grounded in local context. Read ZEP’s insights on public perception ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e9g6u_pn 4️⃣ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐂𝐒/𝐂𝐂𝐔 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞’𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬? CCS and CCU enable heavy industries to remain low-carbon and economically viable. For sectors covered by the #EUETS, these technologies are the only scalable pathways to deep emissions reductions while maintaining production, jobs, and value chains in Europe. Read ZEP's recommendations for the revision of the ETS ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eEEDKDR4 ZEP will continue to support EU institutions to ensure that carbon management policies are grounded in evidence and constructive collaboration.

Europe’s #industrialdecarbonisation will require more than technological breakthroughs. Today, market signals remain too weak to support clean industrial production at scale. The forthcoming Industrial Accelerator Act (#IAA), to be proposed on 10 December, is a critical opportunity to change that and to unlock Europe’s clean industrial projects pipeline. ZEP’s new policy brief, “Advancing lead markets for low-carbon products: the role of carbon management,” sets out how can the IAA create EU #leadmarkets by: 💠 Establishing harmonised low-carbon product standards and transparent carbon accounting; 💠 Introducing demand-side obligations for public and private buyers; 💠Advancing government-led procurement and policy through mandatory green public procurement. Drawing on lessons from pioneering CCS projects, Yara Sluiskil (Yara International) and Brevik CCS (Heidelberg Materials), the brief outlines concrete steps to scale clean production, strengthen Europe’s industrial #competitiveness, and deliver on #climate targets. 📘 Read the full brief here: https://lnkd.in/eFuj8fKJ

How will the new Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan accelerate Europe’s clean energy transition? This question guided discussions at last week’s 19th SET-Plan Conference in Odense, organised by the European Commission and the Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities. The event brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers to explore how innovation can help strengthen Europe’s path toward a climate-neutral energy system. As the EU’s official advisor on industrial #carbonmanagement, ZEP contributed to discussions on industrial decarbonisation and the role of research and innovation in achieving net-zero. Here are the key developments shaping the updated SET-Plan 👇 💠 Modernised governance for impact A new Steering Group, established under the #NetZeroIndustryAct, will improve coordination between Member States, the European Commission, and stakeholders. 💠 Integrated planning framework New Common Implementation and Investment Plans (CIIPs) will align national and European priorities through clear research agendas and shared commitments. 💠 Stronger alignment across Europe Enhanced cooperation between Implementation Working Groups (IWGs), European Technology and Innovation Platforms (ETIPs), and the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) will help reduce fragmentation and build a coherent innovation ecosystem. 💠 Accelerating #cleantechnology deployment Shared investment planning and long-term coordination will support faster deployment of competitive clean technologies, maintaining Europe’s leadership in innovation. 💠 Industrial #decarbonisation and resilience Closer collaboration between the ETIP and IWG on CCS/U will be essential to build Europe’s CO₂ infrastructure and ensure strategic autonomy in industrial decarbonisation value chains. Key interventions by EU leaders - including EU Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jørgensen, Denmark’s Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities Lars Aagaard, and senior representatives from DG RTD and DG ENER -reaffirmed the SET Plan’s role as a unifying framework for Europe’s clean energy future.   ZEP will continue to actively support its implementation, working with partners to advance research, innovation, and large-scale deployment across the industrial carbon management value chain. 👉 Learn more about ZEP’s work: https://lnkd.in/ekhyuNP

What do the #InnovationFund 2024 results reveal on Europe’s carbon management deployment? Last week, the European Commission selected 19 industrial carbon management projects under #IF24. A closer look at their scope and geographical distribution reveals key trends shaping #carbonmanagement and #industrialdecarbonisation in Europe. 1️⃣ Large-scale deployment is underway. Of the ten winning large-scale projects, nine focus on carbon management, including five full-chain CCS projects in France, Belgium, Italy, Romania, and Greece. 2️⃣ Expanding beyond the North Sea. This year’s results mark a genuine continental acceleration: from the North Sea to Eastern and Southern Europe, creating a more geographically balanced CCS landscape. 3️⃣ Cross-border CO₂ infrastructure scales up. Projects such as APOLLOCO₂-LT (Greece) and COnet2 Sea (Spain) will strengthen cross-border transport and storage, advancing open-access CO₂ networks across Europe. 4️⃣ Cement and lime industries lead. Projects by Heidelberg Materials, Holcim, and Vicat confirm CO₂ capture as essential for process emissions, with some also targeting clinker substitution 5️⃣ Alignment with the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA). Four capture projects selected in this call will provide 9% of the EU’s 2030 CO₂ storage target of 50 Mt/year. With new CO₂ storage and temporary hubs joining the portfolio, EU-backed capture projects now represent nearly half of the NZIA’s 50 Mt/year injection capacity goal. ZEP will publish a detailed analysis of these results in the coming weeks. In the meantime, explore: 🔹 The full list of projects in the IF24 call: https://lnkd.in/gxx85bRQ 🔹 ZEP recommendations for the Innovation Fund (July 2025): https://lnkd.in/eUEj5dGg

🎯 Germany finally (re-)enables CO₂ storage: A long overdue, critical milestone Four years ago when I first started working on carbon capture with Clean Air Task Force it was pretty clear that Europe wasn't progressing on #CCS fast enough to reach our climate goals. As we thought back then, if Europe was to do anything, Germany was critical to make it happen. Germany had infamously not been a big fan of CO₂ storage with, significant opposition to planned projects in the late '00s/early '10s (see the lovely CO₂ bomb💣 for example). At the time, industry was hawkish, politicians were scared and (some) NGOs skeptical. Nonetheless, a small coalition led by Bellona Deutschland and VDZ pushed the previous government to take action ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/dVbsQtxW. Today's passage of the revised CO₂ transport and storage #KSpTG is a critical milestone reached to finally get major parts of German industry on a pathway to decarbonisation through #CCS. The full details of the bill are here ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/dy4TUq4y More work will be needed to get domestic storage going, especially onshore storage. I expect costs will enable the Federal States (Länder) to push for opting-in to developing storage and the most cost-effective #CCS value chains. The forthcoming round of carbon contracts for difference should hopefully provide much needed funding supports to get initial projects off the ground. A significant thanks has to go to leaders in NGOs, industry, research and government who've worked hard over the past 4 years to make this happen.

Who are the big #carbonmanagement winners in the 2024 Innovation Fund (IF) call? I always enjoy reading through the results of the IF call results each year to see new #CCS and #CCU projects popping up and this year’s no different. Here are some key takeaways of mine: 1️⃣ #CCS is just a northern Europe thing? Absolutely not. This year 9/10 large scale projects selected include CO₂ capture, transport, storage and use including 6 #CCS projects in 5 EU Member States including 3 in France (AirvaultGoCO₂ and VAIA), Belgium (Anthemis), Italy (DREAM) and Romania (CH CPT101) and Greece (APOLLOCO2-LT). With major projects now being selected in southern and eastern Europe, including 4 of these 6, it’s pretty clear that the project pipeline is now shifting southwards which hopefully will put more CO₂ storage projects on the map in the region. 2️⃣ Cement, cement, cement Cement is a clear winner in this year’s IF call with a whopping 5/10 large scale projects selected including 3 by Heidelberg Materials, (FR, BE, IT) aswell as Holcim (RO,FR) & Vicat (FR). Obviously #CCS is a big focus for the cement projects (as there’s no pathway to zero emissions without it) but several projects include clinker substitution including several of the large scale #CCS projects aswell as MECACLAY in Lithuania. 3️⃣ IF supports for CO₂ infrastructure Last year the selection of pure-play CO₂ transport and storage surprised some, which surprised me in turn as clearly EU policy now emphasises its importance, so it’s only normal that funding would adapt. This year that trend has continued including two important CO₂ transport and storage projects in Spain, Greece. Spain has been a particular laggard on #CCS for years so hopefully government policy will now shift to get these projects going. 4️⃣ Innovative CO₂ capture projects Some really cool CO₂ capture projects have been selected this year including a single CO₂ capture plant connected to a cement & lime plant (CH CPT101) aswell as two onboard CO₂ capture pilot projects (MCC2HUB and HAGHYC) and an onboard capture unit on a LCO₂ carrier (CO2Net2Sea). Onboard ship capture is something seemingly growing in development over the past years so definitely one to watch with these. Check out the full list of projects in the IF24 Call here ⤵️⤵️ https://lnkd.in/dZbGAtgk Stay tuned for some Zero Emissions Platform (ZEP) analysis of these projects in the coming weeks!

What ownership models could shape Europe’s #CO2market? How can they balance competition, bankability, and investment risk?   Determining the ownership model for the CO₂ market is an important choice: it influences alignment across the #valuechain, how risks are shared, and the #competitiveness of the market.    This week’s #CO2MarketMonday explores the ownership models available across the CO₂ value chain, and the trade-offs between de-risking and preventing market foreclosure.   This discussion links to the sixth recommendation in ZEP’s latest report, which states: "Given the nascent state of the market, an adaptive approach is needed to ensure the framework addresses today’s needs and can respond to future developments.”   👉 Learn more in the carousel #carbonmanagement

What does “Europe’s Independence Moment” mean for industrial #carbonmanagement? On 21 October, the European Commission adopted its 2026 Work Programme, defining Europe’s path towards greater competitiveness, security, and industrial leadership, while addressing affordability and security challenges. In this carousel, ZEP unpacks what the new 2026 Work Programme means for industrial carbon management in the EU, including upcoming legislative initiatives on CO₂ transport infrastructure and market as well as on establishing European lead markets for low-carbon products. ➡️ Slide through the carousel to learn more