Shell Netherlands Offshore Carbon Storage NL (SOCS NL) received an exploration permit from The Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate to research the possibility of storing carbon dioxide (CO2) in saline aquifers under the North Sea as a supplement to CO2 storage (CCS) in empty gas fields in the Netherlands.
The 1,500-sq-km exploration license lies about 15 km from the Dutch coast near the Maasvlakte.
SOCS NL intends to investigate storage of CO2 in aquifers in the Dutch part of the North Sea to help understand costs and to develop the Netherlands' expertise.
CO 2 storage in saltwater layers is currently being applied by Shell in Canada, Norway, and Australia. The Netherlands is currently working to develop infrastructure to transport captured CO2 via Porthos, Aramis, and the Delta Rhine Corridor, among others.