Yara International has officially inaugurated Europe’s largest industrial carbon capture facility at its ammonia and fertilizer manufacturing plant in Sluiskil, the Netherlands.
The ceremony was attended by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, European Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth Wopke Hoekstra, and Yara President and CEO Svein Tore Holsether.
The facility represents the operational launch of Europe’s first complete, commercial cross-border value chain for capturing, transporting, and permanently storing carbon dioxide emissions.
At full capacity, the plant will capture and liquefy up to 800,000 metric tons of CO2 annually from ammonia manufacturing, avoiding national carbon tax penalties on those emission volumes.
Over an initial 15-year operational lifespan, the project is expected to capture and permanently isolate approximately 12 million tons of CO2, delivering substantial contributions toward European climate and industrial decarbonization targets.
Cross-Border Logistics Model Ships Liquefied CO2 To Northern Lights Storage Complex
Under the operational model, CO2 captured at the Sluiskil facility is purified, liquefied, and held in temporary on-site storage tanks.
Specialized liquefied CO2 transport vessels operated by Northern Lights will ship the captured emissions to an onshore reception terminal in Øygarden, Norway.
From Øygarden, the carbon dioxide will be pumped through subsea pipelines and permanently injected into deep saline aquifers located 2,600 meters beneath the North Sea bed.
Tim Heijn, Managing Director of Northern Lights, noted that translating the original 2023 commercial agreement into active physical execution demonstrates that cross-border carbon management infrastructure is fully viable for European industry.
Relevant: Euroports And Normod Carbon To Develop Northern European CO2 Hub
European Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra emphasized that practical projects like Yara Sluiskil allow energy-intensive manufacturing sectors to achieve deep emission cuts while maintaining global market competitiveness and local employment.
Yara CEO Svein Tore Holsether added that capturing emissions at the source protects critical value chains in Europe while expanding the availability of low-carbon products:
- Low-Carbon Fertilizers: Supporting sustainable agriculture and reducing food supply chain carbon footprints.
- Low-Carbon Ammonia: Supplying clean chemical feedstocks for industrial manufacturing and emerging clean energy applications.
- Maritime Fuels: Providing lower-emission fuel alternatives for global maritime shipping fleets.
By integrating CCS directly into its flagship Dutch production complex, Yara positions its primary ammonia facilities to remain resilient under tightening European carbon regulations.
Read more: Burckhardt Compression To Supply LCO2 Carrier For Northern Lights CCS Project
