The Danish Energy Agency has awarded its eighth permit for the exploration and potential storage of CO2 to a consortium comprising TotalEnergies, Mitsui and Nordsøfonden, further expanding Denmark’s growing offshore carbon storage portfolio.
The license covers the Inez area in the North Sea, located approximately 31 miles offshore from Thyborøn on Denmark’s west coast. Issued following a competitive tender process, the permit grants the consortium the right to carry out subsurface investigations to assess whether the site is suitable for long-term geological CO2 storage.
With this latest award, Denmark now has eight active CO2 storage exploration licenses, evenly split between offshore and onshore locations. The permit is valid for six years and follows a broader tender round that included three designated offshore areas: Inez, Lisa and Jammerbugt, off the coast of North Jutland.
Expanding Denmark’s carbon storage capacity
Under the terms of the license, the consortium is required to undertake detailed geological and geophysical studies to evaluate reservoir capacity, integrity and long-term storage potential. If the site is deemed suitable, the partners will be eligible to apply for approval to move forward with a full-scale CO2 storage project.
Peter Christian Baggesgaard Hansen, Deputy Director General of the Danish Energy Agency, said Denmark’s subsurface offers strong conditions for safe and secure carbon storage and highlighted the importance of building a geographically distributed storage network.
“Better access to storage in different parts of Denmark provides better conditions for realising CO2 capture and thus contributing with real reductions for the benefit of the climate,” he said.
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The latest permit aligns with Denmark’s broader CCS strategy, which aims to establish the country as a key European hub for offshore CO2 storage.
As capture projects across the region continue to advance, expanding storage capacity in the North Sea is expected to play a critical role in enabling cross-border carbon transport and permanent sequestration.
The Inez license adds further momentum to Denmark’s efforts to scale carbon storage infrastructure and support the decarbonization of hard-to-abate industrial sectors.
Read more: UK Opens Second Offshore CO2 Storage Licensing Round
