Clean energy security pact formed to explore CCS shipping corridors in North Sea

January 27, 2026, by Nadja Skopljak

Four European port and infrastructure players have partnered up to study the potential of carbon capture and storage (CCS) shipping corridors between Northern Europe and the UK, as well as share experience and understanding for the “new but crucial energy transition area”.

CGI impression of CCS transport and storage infrastructure in a port. Source: ABP

Two memorandums of understanding (MoU) have been signed, one between Associated British Ports (ABP) and LBC Tank Terminals and North Sea Port, and one between ABP and the Port of Esbjerg, to pursue collaborative efforts to develop shipping routes for captured CO2, enabling hard-to-abate sectors to cut emissions.

The MoUs will focus on designing port infrastructure for CO2 handling, storage and shipping, building a robust value chain for CO2 transport between ABP’s Humber ports and leading European ports and infrastructure asset owners, as well as driving innovation and efficiencies in carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) related transportation.

ABP explains that North Sea Port’s port area in Vlissingen is a strategic location to both receive captured CO2 from diverse off-grid locations and transship it onto ships for transport and storage offshore, while the Port of Esbjerg is central to the Greensand CCS project, which aims to establish the EU’s first full CCS value chain.

“Our sustainability ambition is clear: a net zero port by 2050. To this end, we are creating connecting infrastructure with our partners. CO2 transport by ship is an additional and flexible means in the chain of industrial decarbonisation,” said Cas König, CEO of North Sea Port.

“By signing this MoU with ABP and LBC, we are taking a practical step to investigate a cross‑border CO₂ corridor that connects emitters to certified storage in the North Sea. Leveraging our shared port infrastructure and maritime expertise, we aim to cut costs, accelerate deployment, and ensure the energy transition strengthens – not weakens – Europe’s industrial competitiveness.”

According to ABP, the UK has world-leading geological capacity for storing captured carbon, and ABP has already achieved planning approval for a CCS handling terminal at the Port of Immingham, linked to the Viking CCS cluster. The project envisages receiving captured CO2 via ABP’s Immingham Green Energy Terminal (IGET), which recently achieved full planning permission, for secure and permanent storage in depleted gas reservoirs in the Southern North Sea.

Furthermore, providing storage services to EU countries increases the utilization of UK CO2 storage infrastructure, supporting jobs, ongoing private sector investment and generating UK tax receipts, ABP said.

The deals follow a Carbon Capture and Storage Association (CCSA) report concluding that a pan-European CO2 market, inclusive of the UK, is a key driver for cost-efficiency, potentially lowering storage costs by 20% through economies of scale and proximate storage locations.

“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. It 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,” said Henrik Pedersen, ABP CEO.

“This is not just about reducing emissions – it’s about creating a new market for carbon shipping that will help Europe meet its climate goals and secure industrial competitiveness and the jobs that rely on it at pace.”