Fri, 30 Jan 2026

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 Visit the North Sea oil field used to store greenhouse gas

Hundreds of miles from Denmark's coast a project is underway to inject CO2 into an old oil field.
The Ineos Energy company has launched its Greensand Future project, which will become Europe's first large-scale offshore carbon storage site. Located 250km off Denmark's west coast, the facility will inject around 400,000 tonnes of CO2 into an almost depleted oilfield this year, potentially increasing to 8 million tonnes annually by 2030. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology is crucial in reducing emissions, according to Mads Gade, CEO of Ineos Energy. "This project can reduce the equivalent of 40% of Denmark's annual CO2 emissions," he said. The Greensand Future project has been praised by some as a vital tool in limiting global warming, but critics argue that it may discourage efforts to cut emissions and is expensive compared to existing technologies like wind power and solar energy. Helene Hagel, head of climate and environmental policy at Greenpeace Denmark, expressed concerns about the long-term implications of using the seabed for CO2 storage. "We're storing carbon in a way that might make it difficult for future generations to use the seabed for their own emissions," she said. The North Sea is emerging as a hub for CCS projects due to its existing oil and gas infrastructure and geology. The project has been backed by several governments, including the EU, which aims to achieve "net zero" emissions by 2050 using technologies like CCS. Offshore workers are also optimistic about the new opportunities created by carbon storage. Peter Bjerre, a maintenance manager, said that many of his colleagues will shift from maintaining turbines and gas compressors to high-pressure pumps for CO2 injection. The project is set to become operational in the coming months, with Ineos Energy claiming it can store around 40% of Denmark's annual emissions reduction target.
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