Greece has formally cleared the way for large-scale CO2 storage at the Prinos field, issuing a long-term permit that positions the offshore site as a cornerstone of the country’s emerging CCS infrastructure.
The license, granted by the Hellenic Hydrocarbons and Energy Resources Management Company (HEREMA), authorizes the development of the “Prinos CO2” project and confirms the geological suitability of the depleted reservoir for permanent storage.
The permit has been awarded to EnEarth Greece, a subsidiary of Energean, following a multi-year evaluation process that began with an exploration license in 2022. Valid for 25 years, the approval covers both the storage site and associated infrastructure within the Prinos concession area, located offshore near Kavala.
At the core of the project is the depleted oil field and an underlying saline aquifer roughly two miles beneath the seabed, where captured CO2 will be injected for long-term containment. During the initial phase, the authorized injection rate is capped at one million metric tons per year.
From licensing to operational readiness
The green light follows technical scrutiny of the operator’s application dossier and a formal opinion from Directorate-General for Climate Action, reflecting alignment with EU carbon storage rules.
External technical, legal and engineering advisers supported the national authority during the assessment.
Before injection can begin, the developer must secure final approval of detailed operational and safety documentation, including updated monitoring, risk management and corrective measures plans, as well as closure and post-closure frameworks.
Relevant: Prinos CO2 Storage Project Offshore Greece Gets EU Endorsement
Regulatory sign-off on these elements will determine the precise start date for first CO2 volumes.
Backed by funding from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility and the Connecting Europe Facility, Prinos CO2 is framed as infrastructure of both national and European strategic value.
For Athens, the project represents more than a single storage site: it is intended to anchor a domestic carbon management market, offering hard-to-abate industries a compliance pathway as climate targets tighten across the bloc.
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