CEF Energy Expands Europe’s CO₂ Transport Infrastructure

The Connecting Europe Facility for Energy (CEF Energy) is accelerating the development of Europe’s CO₂ transport networks, a crucial pillar of the EU’s Industrial Carbon Management Strategy. Since 2019, the programme has invested over €978 million in 28 projects covering the full CO₂ transport chain, from pipelines and liquefaction terminals to buffer storage and compressor stations. By linking industrial emitters to permanent geological storage, these investments support Europe’s pathway to climate neutrality by 2050.

New Projects to Strengthen the Network

Following the 2024 CEF Energy call for Projects of Common and Mutual Interest, 10 new CO₂ projects signed Grant Agreements with CINEA in 2025. Worth around €240 million, they include three construction projects and seven preparatory studies aimed at advancing design work, expanding cross-border connections, and improving access to storage sites.

Major investments include nearly €120 million for the Prinos project in Greece to create the first CCS value chain in the South-Eastern Mediterranean; €55 million for the North Sea L10 offshore spurline supporting the Dutch Aramis project; and almost €12 million for extending quay walls at Denmark’s Port of Aalborg. Among the new studies, the Baltic CCS project will assess a cross-border network linking Latvian and Lithuanian emitters to a future liquid CO₂ terminal in Klaipėda.

These initiatives contribute to the EU's goal of achieving 50 million tonnes of annual CO₂ injection capacity by 2030, as outlined in the Net Zero Industry Act.

The Porthos project in the Netherlands illustrates how EU support turns plans into operational systems. Backed by CEF Energy, it is building an open-access network transporting CO₂ from industrial hubs in Rotterdam, Antwerp and Ghent to offshore storage fields. Scheduled for operation in 2026, Porthos shows how cross-border cooperation can deliver large-scale climate solutions.

Read more 

Source: European Commission