CO2next project achieves important milestones for developing crucial CO2 infrastructure in Rotterdam
Rotterdam, the Netherlands, 6 June 2024
- Entering FEED phase and awarding FEED contract to the engineering and technology group Sener.
- Project will be developed at the Maasvlakte in the Port of Rotterdam.
- Gasunie and Vopak welcome Shell and TotalEnergies as partners to this partnership, which to date was led by Gasunie and Vopak.
The CO2next project has achieved a major milestone by entering a new project phase. CO2next aims to build a liquid CO2 terminal at the Maasvlakte in the port of Rotterdam, that can be used by customers not connected to a CO2 pipeline to ship liquid CO2. Therefore, the terminal will be a critical piece of CO2 infrastructure which can be leveraged as part of the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) chain. The technical feasibility and development of such CCS chain is jointly explored with the Aramis CCS project, to which the terminal will be connected. Today, CO2next is pleased to announce it is entering the so-called Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) phase and has awarded its FEED contract to the engineering and technology group Sener.
During the FEED phase the design, the realisation schedule and the cost of the proposed CO2next terminal will be further defined, the relevant permits can be received and customers will be contracted in preparation for the Final Investment Decision (FID) currently planned for 2025.
With the CO2next project, the project partners aim to build an open access liquid CO2 terminal at the Maasvlakte in Rotterdam with jetties foreseen in the Yangtze Canal. The terminal will be able to receive and deliver liquid CO2 via vessels and will be connected to depleted gas fields in the North Sea via the Aramis trunkline for storage. It can also be leveraged as a part of other CCS chains and a potential future Carbon Utilisation Industry.
CO2 infrastructure as foreseen with the proposed CO2next terminal is critical in the context of the Dutch climate agreement and the European Green Deal. The CO2next terminal also contributes to the infrastructure and facilitates CO2 reduction for the industry in Northwest Europe and a CO2-neutral port in Rotterdam by 2050.
Potential customers for the CO2next terminal have been approached in 2022, which to date has led to several customers who are keen to leverage the open access terminal for their decarbonisation needs. The terminal has a launch capacity of approximately 5.4 Mtpa (Million tonnes per annum), and a potential to grow its capacity to approximately 15 Mtpa, depending on market demand and the development of the Aramis project and other CCS chains.
Following the FID planned for 2025, subject to permits being granted by relevant authorities, the CO2next terminal is currently foreseen to commence commercial operations in 2028. Shell and TotalEnergies have joined the development of the CO2next project, which to date was led by Gasunie and Vopak. The CO2next project is subject to customary competition clearance, which the project partners will perform before FID in due course.
Fulco van Geuns, Project Director CO2next: “We are pleased to see the CO2next project firming up. Carbon Capture and Storage is recognised as required to enable the decarbonisation of the hard to abate industries and we see a clear role for such a liquid CO2 terminal in the European CO2 infrastructure. The same infrastructure may also be required to enable a Carbon Utilisation industry in future. We welcome Shell and TotalEnergies to the partnership and are looking forward to jointly deliver this project.”
For more information please visit www.co2next.nl
Contact for media inquiries: maartje.steenvoorden@thereputationbuilding.com
About CO2next
Gasunie, Vopak, Shell and TotalEnergies are investigating the development of CO2next, an open access terminal for liquid CO2 on the Maasvlakte in the Port of Rotterdam. Such infrastructures are important in the context of the Dutch climate agreement and the European Green Deal. The independent hub terminal will be able to receive and deliver liquid CO2 via ships (potentially railcars in future) and will be connected to the depleted gas fields in the North Sea, offering transport for substantial volumes of CO2 in the near future. This open access system will make the necessary infrastructures available to all market parties, including parties that do not have a direct connection to a CO2 pipeline. In addition, this planned terminal can be an important catalyst in the creation of a market for the reuse of CO2 as a raw material.
About Royal Vopak
Royal Vopak helps the world flow forward. At ports around the world, we provide storage and infrastructure solutions for vital products that enrich everyday life. These products include liquids and gases that provide energy for homes and businesses, chemicals for manufacturing products, and edible oils for cooking. For all of these, our worldwide network of terminals supports the global flow of supply and demand. For more than 400 years, Vopak has been at the forefront of fundamental transformations. With a focus on safety, reliability, and efficiency, we create new connections and opportunities that drive progress. Now more than ever, our talented people are applying this mindset to support the energy transition. Together with our partners and customers, we are accelerating the development of infrastructure solutions for hydrogen, ammonia, CO₂, long-duration energy storage, and low-carbon fuels & feedstocks – paving the way to a more sustainable future. Vopak is listed on the Euronext Amsterdam and is headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
CO2next is in line with Vopak's strategy to accelerate the development of infrastructure solutions for decarbonisation, new energies and sustainable feedstocks.
For more information, please visit www.vopak.com.
Analysts and Investors: Fatjona Topciu - Head of Investor Relations (investor.relations@vopak.com)
Press: Liesbeth Lans - Manager External Communication (global.communication@vopak.com)
About Gasunie
Gasunie is a European energy infrastructure company. Gasunie’s network is one of the largest pressure pipeline networks in Europe, comprising over 17,000 kilometres of pipeline in the Netherlands and northern Germany. Gasunie provides natural and green gas transport services through its subsidiaries, Gasunie Transport Services B.V. (GTS) in the Netherlands and Gasunie Deutschland in Germany. With its crossborder gas infrastructure and services, Gasunie facilitates TTF, which has become a leading European gas trading point. Gasunie also provides other gas infrastructure services, including gas storage and LNG. Gasunie wants to help accelerate the transition to a CO2 neutral energy supply and believes that gas related innovations, for instance in the form of renewable gases such as hydrogen and green gas, can make an important contribution. Both existing and new gas infrastructure play a key role here. Gasunie also plays an active part in the development of other energy infrastructure to support the energy transition. www.gasunie.nl
Shell
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TotalEnergies
For media inquiries please contact media-nl@totalenergies.com 
