Europe's plan to capture and store carbon at scale hinges on a transport network that barely exists today, requiring a dedicated fleet of around 65 CO2 carriers and 33 ports by 2050, according to a report by energy consultancy Xodus. The finding has immediate implications for shipping lines, port operators, and logistics providers who will need to invest in specialised vessels, onshore handling infrastructure, and intermodal connections to move captured CO2 from industrial emitters to offshore storage sites.
The report, named CCUS Enabling Infrastructure Study and cited by Splash247, examines the ports, ships, and onshore transport needed to move captured CO2 across Europe. Captured emissions across the continent are forecast to grow from 70 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) in 2030 to 320 mtpa by 2050. While the shipping share of the transport market is expected to fall from 48% to 24% over that period as pipeline networks are built out, the volume of CO2 carried by ship is predicted to more than double to 79 mtpa.
Ports at the Center of the Network
The analysis screened roughly 850 operating ports across Europe, narrowing the list to around 200, and identified up to 60 that are particularly well placed to capture emissions and route them to offshore geological storage by 2050. Many of the likely dual-purpose ‘emitter’ and ‘store’ ports sit in heavily industrialised areas such as the Port of Rotterdam, Humberside, and Liverpool Bay, according to the report. These ports will require significant investment in loading/unloading facilities, temporary storage, and pipeline connections to handle growing CO2 volumes.
Fleet and Vessel Requirements
The modelling indicates that a fleet of around 22 ships will be required by 2030, increasing to 65 by 2050, based on an average cargo capacity of 15,000 tonnes per vessel, the report states. These would serve a network of high-throughput ports, supported by a set of regional export sites, and include around 23 gathering and exporting CO2 from emitters, and 10 receiving it for onward transport to offshore storage. The vessels will likely be purpose-built or converted LPG carriers, as the technology for handling CO2 has been proven in the LPG industry and is already in service on projects such as Northern Lights, said James McAreavey, global head of CCUS and special projects lead at Xodus.
"Most of the technology needed to move captured carbon around Europe already exists. It has been proven over decades in the LPG industry and is in CO2 service today through projects such as Northern Lights. The task now is scaling it. If investment in ports and vessels starts now, the North Sea can set the benchmark for how the UK and Europe connect emitters to storage," said James McAreavey, global head of CCUS and special projects lead at Xodus.
The report predicts the European CO2 transport market will evolve as a hybrid system between 2030 and 2050. Pipelines are expected to dominate high-volume, heavily industrialised corridors, while shipping provides flexibility, cross-border connections, and a route to decarbonise regions where pipelines would not be competitive.
Multimodal Connections from Emitters
For the journey from the emitter to the port, the report finds that road tankers, rail cars, and river barges all offer established routes for lower-volume transport, drawing on technologies already proven in the LPG sector. This opens opportunities for intermodal logistics providers and short-sea operators to participate in the CO2 supply chain, especially in the early years before dedicated pipeline networks become widespread.
Iain Martin, CCUS technology manager at NZTC, added: "Targeted investment in port infrastructure, shipping capacity and storage development will be essential to creating a resilient and commercially viable network. The priority now is to translate this insight into coordinated action that accelerates deployment and strengthens the UK and wider North Sea region’s role in Europe’s decarbonisation ambitions."
Watch List
- Investment decisions: Whether governments and industry commit funding for port upgrades and newbuild vessels in the next 2–3 years will determine if the 2030 fleet target of 22 ships is achievable.
- Pipeline vs shipping balance: As pipeline networks expand after 2030, the role of shipping may shift to niche corridors and cross-border routes, but absolute volumes carried by sea will continue to grow.
- Technology standardisation: Common rules for CO2 handling, vessel design, and port interfaces are needed to enable interoperability and lower costs.
- North Sea storage site development: The availability of offshore storage permits in the UK and Norwegian sectors will influence which ports become primary export hubs.
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