Associated British Ports (ABP), LBC Tank Terminals, North Sea Port and Denmark’s Port of Esbjerg have signed memoranda of understanding to explore dedicated shipping corridors for captured CO2 between northern Europe and the UK, linking industrial emitters to offshore storage in the North Sea.
The initiatives come as governments and industry search for practical ways to decarbonise heavy industry while protecting competitiveness. Shipping is increasingly seen as one of the most flexible and economically viable options for long-distance CO2 transport, particularly when compared with building new pipeline networks that are costly, slow to permit and politically complex. S&P Global estimates that CO2 shipping volumes could reach tens to hundreds of millions of tonnes a year by 2050.
Britain has some of Europe’s largest and most accessible offshore storage capacity, and ABP has already secured planning approval for a CCS handling terminal at Immingham in Lincolnshire. The facility will connect industrial emitters in the Humber to the Viking CCS cluster, with CO2 ultimately stored in depleted gas reservoirs in the southern North Sea.
Henrik Pedersen, ABP’s CEO, said: ‘Ports have always been gateways for energy. Today, they are at the forefront of the energy transition. This agreement is about building the infrastructure and partnerships needed to decarbonise industry and create new opportunities for sustainable growth.’ He added that the collaboration ‘paves the way for the UK to utilise its world-leading geological assets to provide near-term options for emissions reductions across Europe and realise significant export potential for the UK’.
LBC Tank Terminals contributes experience in handling, storing and processing bulk liquids, which is critical for liquefied CO2 logistics. North Sea Port, which spans the Netherlands and Belgium, offers a strategic transhipment hub at Vlissingen, capable of aggregating captured CO2 from diverse onshore locations before onward shipment offshore.
North Sea Port CEO, Cas König, said: ‘Our sustainability ambition is clear: a net zero port by 2050. To this end, we are creating connecting infrastructure with our partners.’ He added that by leveraging shared maritime expertise, the partners aim to ‘cut costs, accelerate deployment, and ensure the energy transition strengthens, not weakens, Europe’s industrial competitiveness’.
The Port of Esbjerg anchors the Danish side of the value chain through its role in the Greensand project, which aims to establish the EU’s first full CCS value chain and become its first fully operational offshore CO2 storage facility. Construction began in May 2025 on a CO2 transit terminal that will include six tanks, each with a capacity of about 1,000 tonnes of liquefied CO2. The terminal will initially handle captured emissions from Danish biogas plants before shipment to permanent storage sites in the Danish North Sea.
Dennis Jul Pedersen, Esbjerg’s chief executive, commented: ‘Europe is at the beginning of a new reality where CCS will play an increasingly important role in supporting investment and jobs in critical industrial and energy sectors. Collaboration is key to unlocking the potential of carbon shipping. By partnering with ABP, Esbjerg aims to create scalable solutions that support Europe’s decarbonisation ambitions and strengthen the role of ports in the green transition.’
The agreements reflect a broader push to create a functioning European CO2 market. The Carbon Capture and Storage Association has argued that a pan-European approach, including the UK, could reduce CO2 transport and storage costs by around 20 per cent through deeper EU–UK integration, economies of scale and improved access to suitable storage sites. Olivia Powis, the association’s CEO, said the tie-ups represented ‘a significant step in strengthening cross-border cooperation among European ports’, enabling all partners to benefit from lower costs.
