Major port and infrastructure operators from the UK and mainland Europe have announced new cooperation agreements aimed at accelerating the development of maritime transport routes for captured carbon dioxide across the North Sea.
Associated British Ports (ABP), LBC Tank Terminals, North Sea Port and the Port of Esbjerg signed two memoranda of understanding during the International North Sea Summit in Hamburg, where regional leaders gathered to advance cross-border energy transition initiatives.
The agreements will explore the feasibility of dedicated CO2 shipping corridors linking industrial emitters in Northern Europe with offshore geological storage sites in the UK and Denmark.
The partnerships reflect growing interest in maritime transport as a flexible alternative to pipeline networks, particularly for industrial clusters located away from existing CO2 infrastructure. By connecting capture sites to storage hubs, port operators are positioning themselves as critical intermediaries in the emerging carbon logistics market.
Ports Expand Role in Carbon Transport Infrastructure
ABP has already secured planning approval for its Immingham Green Energy Terminal, which will serve as a handling hub for the Viking CCS project and connect shipped CO2 to depleted gas reservoirs in the UK Southern North Sea.
LBC Tank Terminals will contribute expertise in liquid bulk storage and terminal operations, supporting temporary CO2 storage, conditioning and transfer activities.
On the European mainland, North Sea Port plans to leverage its central location to consolidate captured emissions from multiple industrial zones before onward shipment offshore. Meanwhile, the Port of Esbjerg is advancing infrastructure for Denmark’s Greensand CCS project, including a new CO2 transit terminal with six large storage tanks currently under construction.
Relevant: First UK Offshore CCS Project Moves To Construction
Under the agreements, partners will jointly assess port design requirements, develop cross-border transport value chains and identify efficiency improvements across the CCUS logistics network.
Industry groups argue that regional coordination could unlock cost savings by increasing utilisation rates and creating scale. A recent analysis by the Carbon Capture and Storage Association suggests that integrating UK and EU transport and storage networks could reduce CO2 shipping and storage costs by up to 20%.
By aligning infrastructure investment across borders, North Sea ports aim to transform captured carbon into a new maritime commodity while strengthening their position in Europe’s low-carbon industrial transition.
Read more: Industry Leaders Urge EU To Back Zero-Carbon Ships And Planes In STIP
