15 major industrial stakeholders have called on the Belgian authorities to support them in CO2 capture and storage on Wednesday. Without appropriate regulation and financial support, companies risk relocating rather than decarbonising, they warned during the economic mission to Norway.
The appeal was signed by Belgian gas grid operator Fluxys, ArcelorMittal, BASF, Engie, Holcim, Ineos and the major Flemish ports, among others.
Belgian industry must reduce its CO2 emissions to meet climate targets. Norway is offering a solution by heavily investing in carbon capture and storage (CCS); an operation which involves capturing and storing polluting carbon dioxide emissions in expansive empty gas fields in the North Sea. The plan is to transport CO2 from Belgium to these storage sites via a pipeline, a project which will cost several billion euros.
In practical terms, the signatories are calling for financial aid to reduce the risks taken by pioneering companies investing in CO2 storage, particularly in infrastructure. They are also asking for a certain amount of freedom. "Don't impose a specific technology, but focus on reducing CO2 emissions. Focus on results," said Daan Schalck, CEO of the North Sea Port (Ghent, Terneuzen and Vlissingen).
However, the environmental non-profit organisation Greenpeace is sceptical about CO2 storage. "It's a very expensive and inefficient technology which threatens to keep us dependent on fossil fuels for longer," criticised Greenpeace Belgium spokesperson Joeri Thijs.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), for its part, advocates limiting CCS to specific cases, for example if CO2-free production is impossible.
