Greensand Future initiates additional subsurface measurements in the North Sea before large-scale CO2 storage can begin

• Right now, eight seismometers are continuously recording even the slightest movements in the area surrounding the Nini Field in the North Sea. This marks a crucial step before Greensand Future can begin safe and permanent storage of CO₂.

• The comprehensive data gathering will complement the results from the Greensand pilot phase, verified by DNV, ensuring that the stored CO2 will remain safely and permanently in the Nini West reservoir deep below the North Sea seabed.

• Cecilie Dybbroe Tang, Senior Geologist at INEOS Energy Denmark, says: “Our work will provide us with an in-depth understanding of the natural seismic activity at the Nini Field in the North Sea. This baseline will be a crucial tool when we begin storing CO₂.”

• With a Final Investment Decision in December 2024, INEOS, the day to day operator, with its partners Harbour Energy and Nordsøfonden announced a breakthrough in Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). With storage operations set to begin at the end of 2025/early 2026 Greensand will become the EU’s first operational large-scale CO2 storage facility intended to mitigate climate change.

• Greensand Future aims to safely capture and permanently store 400.000 tons of CO2 each year as a start allowing for the gradual expansion of storage capacity towards 2030 as CO2 volumes increase with a potential to store up to 8.000.000 tons of CO2 per annum.

• Mr. Mads Gade, Head of Denmark, INEOS Energy, says: “There is an enormous potential in the unique Danish subsurface. We must harness this potential, as we can make significant contributions to achieving both Danish and European climate goals.”

Eight orange seismometers have been deployed on the seabed at the Nini Field in the North Sea. These instruments now rest 60 meters below the ocean surface, providing a detailed and up-to-date insight into the geology and other activity in the area. This initiative is part of the advanced CCS project, Greensand Future.

"We are currently collecting a vast amount of data that will give us an in-depth understanding of the natural seismic activity at the Nini Field in the North Sea. This baseline will be a crucial tool when we begin storing CO₂. At that point, we can filter out naturally occurring data and gain clear insights into how the storage process is progressing," says Cecilie Dybbroe Tang, Senior Geologist at INEOS Energy Denmark.

The eight seismometers are highly sensitive, capable of detecting pressure waves from both ship engines in the waters near the Nini Field I the North Sea and seismic waves from earthquakes on the other side of the planet. Each station weighs approximately 300 kg and together they cover the entire Nini Field, which spans about 12 x 5 kilometers on the seabed. Developed by KUM Kiel, specialists in seabed data collection, the instruments were deployed on the North Sea seabed after being transported by the vessel ESVAGT Innovator.

Safety is Paramount
In December 2024, the operator behind Greensand Future – INEOS – along with its partners, made the final investment decision. With the plan to initiate safe and permanent CO₂ storage in the Nini Field by late 2025/early 2026, Greensand is expected to become the EU’s first operational CO₂ storage facility aimed at mitigating climate change. This investment decision has paved the way for expected investments exceeding 1 billion DKK across the Greensand CCS value chain to scale up storage capacity.

The ongoing data collection in the North Sea complements results from the Project Greensand pilot phase, which has been verified by DNV, a world-leading independent provider of risk assessment, verification, and standardization services. The rigorous technical verification ensures that the stored CO₂ will remain safely and permanently in the sealed Nini West reservoir, approximately 1,800 meters beneath the North Sea seabed.

"There is an enormous potential in the unique Danish subsurface. We must harness this potential, as we can make significant contributions to achieving both Danish and European climate goals. It has already been documented that the Nini Field is a well-functioning storage site capable of safely and permanently storing large volumes of CO₂ that would otherwise have been emitted into the atmosphere. Now, we are collecting even more data, as safety is, of course, our top priority – and we firmly believe that documented safe and permanent storage will be a competitive advantage in the future," says Mads Gade, Country Manager, INEOS Denmark.