Signing of the Oslo Declaration: 5 policy questions related to CCUS

July 16, 2024

Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Fluxys and key players from the chemical industry signed the Oslo Declaration during the Belgian economic mission to Norway in June. In doing so, they underscored the necessity of a clear policy regarding CCUS.

International collaboration is crucial for CCUS

Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage (CCUS) entails capturing CO₂ emissions and storing them, such as in depleted gas fields in the North Sea. At a later stage, the captured CO₂ can be reused as raw material. CCUS is pivotal in the energy transition and essential for industries where CO₂ emissions are unavoidable.

Belgium has no storage sites for captured CO₂. That’s why international collaboration is crucial. Belgium has already entered into agreements with the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway to this end. It is one of the European frontrunners, exemplified by its ‘Northern Lights’ project, which aims to store the first captured CO₂ in depleted Norwegian gas fields by 2024.

Animatievideo van het Antwerpse binnenvaartbedrijf Victrol, waarin ze hun project rond CCUS shipping uitleggen.

The role of Port of Antwerp-Bruges in CCUS

To underscore the significance of collaboration with Norway, a Belgian economic mission was scheduled. The Port of Antwerp-Bruges and Fluxys, collaborating within the c-grid consortium, took the opportunity to address the challenges of decarbonising industry through the Oslo Declaration, emphasising the importance of maintaining competitiveness.

Port of Antwerp-Bruges plays an important role in the CCUS chain and has several projects planned for this purpose.

In Antwerp, work is underway on the Antwerp@C-project. From there, captured CO₂ will be transported to ‘sinks’ for storage in depleted gas fields.
In Zeebrugge, Fluxys is building new CO₂compressors to transport captured CO₂ from there via undersea pipelines to storage sites in the North Sea.
To transport captured CO₂ to Zeebrugge, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges joined Fluxys’ c-grid initiative via its subsidiary Pipelink. That pipeline network will transport captured CO₂ from Belgian and European industries to exit sites such as Antwerp and Zeebrugge.

The Oslo Declaration

The Oslo Declaration aims to put five crucial policy questions on the agenda of Belgian policymakers. The timing, immediately following the elections when coalition agreements are being drafted, was ideal for this.

Intra-Belgian Industrial Deal
Although CO₂ is a regional competence, the industry is calling for legislative alignment within Belgium. An example is the specific purity requirements for CO₂ transported through pipelines.
A New Spirit of Law-making
Legislation should provide companies with the flexibility to pursue their own paths toward sustainability, avoiding unnecessary over-regulation that complicates the process.
De-risking Mechanisms to Support Early Movers in the CCUS Value Chain
Since there is currently no profitable business case for CCUS, temporary financial support from the government is essential. In doing so, the industry is advocating for a temporary mechanism to mitigate risks until the market catches up.
Role of Molecules in Future Energy System
It’s crucial that companies maintain the flexibility to pursue sustainable practices. Therefore, policy should be bold in exploring multiple new molecules rather than focusing on just one, so as to ensure that an adequate supply of energy and electricity remains available in the future.
North Sea Cooperation
Belgium must be able to cooperate with non-EU North Sea countries, such as the UK, which has large CO₂storage capacity. Harmonising and consistently maintaining policies, especially regarding specifications, is essential in this context.

The Oslo Declaration was signed by several Antwerp firms (Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Air Liquide, BASF, Total Energies, ExxonMobil and Ineos), Ghent (North Sea Port, Engie and ArcelorMittal), Wallonia (Carmeuse, Holcim, Heidelberg Materials and Lhoist) and Norwegian firm Equinor. The latter has robust operations in Belgium and is in partnership with Fluxys for a future pipeline between Zeebrugge and Norway.

Due to significant interest, the declaration will be expanded to allow other key CO₂ players and relevant sector federations, such as Voka and essenscia, to also sign.