Carbon capture and storage in Europe: Slow but significant progress in 2025

In 2025, Europe transitioned toward commercial-scale CCS deployment, marked by the first fully operational value chain at Norway's Brevik cement plant. While ten projects reached final investment decisions (FID) between December 2024 and October 2025—adding approximately 4 Mt CO2/year of capture and 14 Mt CO2/year of storage capacity—deployment remains far below the trajectories needed for 2040 and 2050 climate targets. Progress is heavily reliant on blended finance and corporate carbon dioxide removal (CDR) offtake agreements, particularly with Microsoft. Geographically, CCS is expanding from Northern European hubs into Southern and Central & Eastern Europe, with new projects in Spain, Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Hungary. Policy advancements include the Net-Zero Industry Act's 2030 injection target and Germany's 2025 legislation classifying CO2 transport and storage as projects of overriding public interest.

• Europe achieved a major milestone in 2025 with the first fully operational CCS value chain, as Heidelberg Materials’ Brevik cement plant in Norway became the first industrial facility to capture CO2 at scale for permanent storage via the Northern Lights project.
• Between December 2024 and October 2025, ten projects reached final investment decision (FID), contributing roughly 4 million tons (Mt) of annual capture capacity and 14 Mt of annual storage capacity.
• Current deployment is insufficient to meet recommended climate targets; the EU needs capture capacities of approximately 280 Mt CO2 per year by 2040 and 450 Mt CO2 per year by 2050 to reach climate neutrality by 2050.
• Project bankability relies heavily on a blended-finance model combining public funds with long-term carbon dioxide removal (CDR) offtake agreements from the voluntary carbon market, specifically citing contracts with Microsoft for projects like Stockholm Exergi and Hafslund Oslo Celsio.
• CCS is expanding beyond Northern Europe into Southern and Central & Eastern Europe, with 37 proposed projects identified in these regions. Notable examples include TarraCO2-Storage in Spain, the Ravenna hub in Italy, and onshore projects in Romania (Carbon Hub CPT01), Bulgaria (Beli Net Zero and Anrav), Slovakia (Engas CCS), and Hungary (Danube Carbon Removals).
• The EU has established a binding target of 50 Mt CO2 per year of injection capacity by 2030 under the Net-Zero Industry Act, while the Industrial Carbon Management Strategy aims for 250 Mt CO2 per year by 2040 across the European Economic Area.
• Germany streamlined its regulatory environment in November 2025 by passing legislation that classifies CO2 transport and storage as projects of overriding public interest and enables offshore storage in the German North Sea.

APA

Mati, A., Rossi, C., & Lockwood, T. (2025). Carbon capture and storage in Europe: Slow but significant progress in 2025. Clean Air Task Force. https://www.catf.us/2025/11/carbon-capture-storage-europe-slow-but-significant-progress-2025/

Chicago

Mati, Adriana, Codie Rossi, and Toby Lockwood. Carbon capture and storage in Europe: Slow but significant progress in 2025. Clean Air Task Force, 2025. https://www.catf.us/2025/11/carbon-capture-storage-europe-slow-but-significant-progress-2025/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mati |first1=Adriana |last2=Rossi |first2=Codie |last3=Lockwood |first3=Toby |title=Carbon capture and storage in Europe: Slow but significant progress in 2025 |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=26 November 2025 |url=https://www.catf.us/2025/11/carbon-capture-storage-europe-slow-but-significant-progress-2025/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mati2025carbon, author = {Mati, Adriana and Rossi, Codie and Lockwood, Toby}, title = {{Carbon capture and storage in Europe: Slow but significant progress in 2025}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2025}, month = nov, url = {https://www.catf.us/2025/11/carbon-capture-storage-europe-slow-but-significant-progress-2025/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }