The EU Innovation Fund has announced its support to develop the largest and most cost-efficient full-chain carbon capture and storage (CCS) facility in Europe.
The project’s initial phase is known as Danube Removals.
Danube CCS Ventures, established with the backing of ClonBio Group and The EMOV Group, will capture and permanently store over half a million metric tons of CO2 from green fermentation annually, utilizing a dedicated onshore geological storage system located near the Pannonia Bio facility in central Hungary.
This initiative will produce high-quality, permanent carbon removal credits that comply with Europe’s Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF) regulations, making them eligible for the voluntary carbon market (VCM).
Work will begin on drilling the first CO2 injection well later this year, following approval under the EU CCS Directive,
As one of Europe’s leading biorefineries, Pannonia Bio will supply CO2 that will be transported through pipelines to a nearby, permanent geological storage site within a saline aquifer of the Pannonian Basin.
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The fermentation industry across Europe holds the potential to remove over 10 million tons of CO2 annually through similar bio-based processes. As the EU’s biomethane sector grows, these numbers could rise significantly.
The Danube Removals project represents Europe’s first large-scale bio-CCS integration, designed with low CCS unit costs.
This model for CO2 storage could potentially be scaled to handle tens of millions of tons across the Pannonian Basin, setting a new benchmark for economic viability and scalability, while demonstrating substantial expansion opportunities throughout Europe.
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The Danube Removals initiative is set to contribute more than 1% of Europe’s 2030 annual CO2 storage capacity target, which is 50 million tons per year, as outlined in the Net-Zero Industry Act.
The project is expected to create around 200 jobs during development and about 50 positions once operational, with thousands more in indirect employment and expansion as new sites are added.
This initiative will showcase the potential of Central Europe, particularly Hungary, as a prime location for low-cost, high-volume CO2 storage solutions.
