Following a review, the Porthos carbon capture and storage project is revising its schedule. The project is not expected to commence before the second half of 2027, whereas start-up was originally planned for the end of this year.
Porthos is developing a project in which CO2 from industry in the Port of Rotterdam will be transported and stored in depleted gas fields under the North Sea. Several companies in the port supply their CO2 to a collecting pipeline of over 30 kilometres through the Rotterdam port area.
The CO2 is then pressurised at a compressor station, which is needed to transport the CO2 as a gas. The CO2 then goes by subsea pipeline to a platform in the North Sea, about 20 kilometres offshore, which injects the CO2 into depleted gas fields.
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Delay has multiple causes
There is no single main reason for the adjustment to the schedule. The organisation writes on its website: ‘The various components of this unique project are interdependent, and more time is required in practice than was factored into the current ambitious schedule. Furthermore, there have been external developments, such as longer delivery times for materials.’
As a result, start-up has been postponed from the end of 2026 to the second half of 2027. The schedule will be refined further in the coming period.
Also read: Allseas kicks off offshore works for Porthos
Pipeline port area completed
Since construction began in early 2024, the laying of the pipeline through the Rotterdam port area and beneath the seabed has been completed. The conversion of the injection wells has been successful, and the construction of the buildings on the compressor station site is well advanced.
Gemmeke Groot, Director of Porthos: ‘The ambitious schedule for this project has already led to a great deal being achieved. Taking stock of the situation, we can see that more time is needed. Naturally, we are maintaining the momentum, because for every year that we are unable to store CO2, 2.5 million tonnes of CO2 are added to the atmosphere. That is why we are continuing to work just as hard and enthusiastically to deliver this unique, important but also complex project safely and as quickly as possible.’
Picture: Compressor station Porthos under construction in April 2026 (photo by PorthosCO2).
