UK and Belgium sign cross-border CO2 transport and storage agreement for carbon capture

The UK and Belgium have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enable cross-border transport and storage of carbon dioxide. This is the first agreement of its kind under the London Protocol that the UK has reached with another country, and it marks a step forward for international carbon capture and storage (CCS) cooperation. The deal allows captured CO2 from industrial sources in one country to be shipped and stored in geological formations under the other. For the UK, which is developing several large CCS clusters, this could open access to storage sites in the North Sea and Belgium's offshore reservoirs. For Belgium, it provides an outlet for emissions that cannot be easily cut at source. Cross-border CO2 transport has been limited by legal barriers under the London Protocol, which restricts export of waste for dumping at sea. This agreement works around those restrictions and sets a template for similar deals with other European countries. The practical impact will depend on how quickly permitting and infrastructure can be built out.