Europe’s gap between carbon storage development and capture demand

The document highlights a significant gap between the intended CO2 capture initiatives in Europe and the actual storage capacity available to accommodate them. While Europe possesses a theoretical storage capacity of over 500 Gt, the development of sites is slow. Analysis indicates that by 2030, available storage capacity will only cover approximately half of the captured CO2 from announced projects, with the gap narrowing slightly to 40% of demand by 2032. The author argues that meeting net zero targets by 2050 requires coordinated planning, investment in geological characterisation, and streamlined permitting to expand storage infrastructure, particularly for regions lacking access to the North Sea.

• There are approximately 50 CO2 capture initiatives across various sectors and geographies in Europe, which are expected to capture more than 80 Mt of CO2 annually by 2030.
• Despite a theoretical storage capacity exceeding 500 Gt, available storage capacity is projected to meet only about 50% of the volume of captured CO2 by 2030 and 60% (a 40% gap) by 2032, based on current projects.
• The development of new storage sites is hindered by the need for extensive geological characterisation, trial injections, and permitting, leading many current projects to rely on a small number of sites in the North Sea.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (2022). Europe’s gap between carbon storage development and capture demand. https://www.catf.us/resource/europes-gap-between-carbon-storage-development-and-capture-demand/

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Europe’s gap between carbon storage development and capture demand. 2022. https://www.catf.us/resource/europes-gap-between-carbon-storage-development-and-capture-demand/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Europe’s gap between carbon storage development and capture demand |date=11 January 2022 |url=https://www.catf.us/resource/europes-gap-between-carbon-storage-development-and-capture-demand/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cleanairtaskforce2022europes, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{Europe’s gap between carbon storage development and capture demand}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2022}, month = jan, url = {https://www.catf.us/resource/europes-gap-between-carbon-storage-development-and-capture-demand/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }