Denmark to put CO2 in seabed in step towards carbon negativity

(Climate Home News, 7 Feb 2023) The Danish government has awarded licenses to three companies to store carbon dioxide under the seabed, as a step towards its target of becoming carbon negative by 2050.

Fossil fuel companies Total, Ineos and Wintershall DEA will try to store millions of tons of carbon dioxide in the sandstone of old oil and gas reservoirs in the North Sea.

Danish environment minister Lars Aagaard said: “This is not just a step towards a new green industry in our North Sea – it’s a milestone for our green transition.”

To start with, the companies will store carbon dioxide which has been captured from industrial sources like cement and steel companies and power plants.

By offsetting emissions, this will help Denmark reach net zero – when it emits no more greenhouse gases than it sucks up.

The government is also funding research into direct air capture, where carbon dioxide is sucked out of the air rather than from smokestacks. In theory, this can lead to negative emissions.

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Climate Home News, 7 Feb 2023: Denmark to put CO2 in seabed in step towards carbon negativity