European Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra recently met with industry stakeholders to discuss scaling up carbon capture and storage (CCS) across the EU. The EU aims for 50 million tonnes of annual CO2 injection capacity by 2030, but project announcements have slowed and delivery is falling short. Participants agreed that coordinated action across the entire value chain is needed, with faster permitting, cross-border cooperation, and open access to CO2 transport and storage infrastructure. The meeting highlighted the Innovation Fund as a key driver for early CCS projects and stressed that stronger demand for low-carbon products, including through public procurement, will be critical. The Commission plans to release measures to support CO2 transport infrastructure and markets by the end of 2026. A separate report from Xodus Group estimates Europe will need 65 more CO2 carriers and 33 new ports by 2050 to meet CCUS goals.
