Carbon Capture and Storage in Spain

Spain has a significant CO2 storage potential of 12 to 44 Gt, which could accommodate 121 to 445 years of its annual point source emissions. While industrial point sources account for 49 MtCO2/yr (20% of national total), the Spanish Government has not yet provided specific plans for CCS deployment. The document highlights the Ebro Basin as a prime location where CCS could mitigate 4.42 MtCO2/yr by 2050 and create up to 104,900 jobs. To avoid competitive vulnerability as EU ETS prices rise, the report recommends a national carbon management strategy, streamlined permitting, and the development of low-carbon industrial clusters in regions such as the Ebro Basin, Vasco-Cantabrica Basin, and Huelva.

• Spain's industrial point sources emit 49 MtCO2/yr, representing 20% of the country's total emissions. The largest contributing sectors are energy (49.25 MtCO2/yr), refineries (13.494 MtCO2/yr), and cement & lime (12.963 MtCO2/yr).
• The country possesses a geological CO2 storage potential estimated between 12 and 44 Gt, which is sufficient to store between 121 and 445 years of its current annual point source emissions.
• The Ebro Basin is identified as a high-potential region for CCS. A proposed project connecting the 15 largest emitters in the region to three deep saline aquifer storage sites could capture and store 4.42 MtCO2/yr by 2050, reducing emissions by 25% and creating up to 104,900 jobs over 25 years.
• Despite the potential and the needs of hard-to-abate sectors like chemicals, steel, and cement, the Spanish Government lacks a detailed plan or regulatory framework to foster CCS deployment, creating a competitive vulnerability for domestic industry as EU ETS free allowances decrease.
• Prime locations for CCS development include industrial clusters in the Ebro Basin, the Vasco-Cantabrica Basin, and Huelva in the south, due to their high emissions and proximity to storage sites.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (n.d.). Carbon Capture and Storage in Spain. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/29085235/ccs-fact-sheet-spain.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Carbon Capture and Storage in Spain. n.d. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/29085235/ccs-fact-sheet-spain.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Carbon Capture and Storage in Spain |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/29085235/ccs-fact-sheet-spain.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cleanairtaskforcendcarbon, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{Carbon Capture and Storage in Spain}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/29085235/ccs-fact-sheet-spain.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }