The EU CCUS Forum 2023 underscored the importance of CCUS

"Now we are acting" 🌱

With those words, Climate, Energy and Supply Minister Lars Aagaard kicked off the EU CCUS Forum 2023 in Aalborg. 450 participants gathered in Nordkraft, while up to 500 followed online.

One of the things we take home with us is that the rest of Europe and the USA are facing some of the same challenges that we experience in North Jutland. The metaphor of the chicken and the egg was mentioned many times. There is a lack of coherence and better interaction, where on the one hand we have the national political framework and the infrastructure for all those who are or want to start - the companies, the test and demonstration projects and educational institutions that want to start with skills development. The two levels must play better together, and we want to, among other things, help make a mark in CO2Vision.

Furthermore, we have to get things up to scale, and that requires cooperation across national borders.

This was accentuated with the launch of the Aalborg Declaration, which has now been signed by five countries; Denmark, Germany, France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands. The declaration emphasizes that CO2 capture, storage and use is a necessary climate tool and marks a step towards a European market for CO2 capture, storage and use.

In his opening speech, Lars Aagaard also emphasized that there is a need for more cooperation and infrastructure across national borders. Pipes are needed for CO2 and hydrogen, and we need greater scale and the courage to aim higher.

We are looking forward to two ambitious and visionary days in Aalborg. Many of the most important decision-makers and business people have opened their eyes to North Jutland and some of what we can achieve. Our network is strengthened with new relationships across 31 countries – also outside the borders of the EU.

We have no doubts; CCUS is high on the agenda, and it will be for years to come.