Yara has officially inaugurated Europe’s largest industrial carbon capture facility at its Sluiskil fertiliser complex in the Netherlands, marking a significant step in the development of Europe’s carbon-management infrastructure and the decarbonisation of energy-intensive industry. The project establishes what Yara describes as the first complete cross-border value chain for capturing, transporting and permanently storing CO₂, connecting industrial operations in the Netherlands with offshore storage infrastructure in Norway.
For European industry, the significance extends beyond emissions reduction. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is increasingly being viewed as a tool to preserve domestic industrial capacity while companies face rising carbon costs and pressure to reduce emissions. Yara Sluiskil, one of Europe’s largest ammonia and fertiliser production sites, can capture and liquefy up to 800,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually from ammonia production. The captured CO₂ will be temporarily stored at the facility before being transported by ship to Norway.
There, Northern Lights will permanently store the CO₂ approximately 2,600 metres beneath the seabed. With the necessary framework conditions in place, the project is expected to capture and permanently store approximately 12 million tonnes of CO₂ over 15 years.
The inauguration brought together Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, European Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth Wopke Hoekstra and Yara President and CEO Svein Tore Holsether, underlining the strategic importance being attached to cross-border carbon infrastructure. “This is an important day for Yara and for European industry. The carbon capture facility in Sluiskil proves that large-scale industrial decarbonization is possible today,” said Holsether. He added that Europe must find ways to reduce emissions while keeping industry, jobs and critical value chains within the region as global competition intensifies.
CCS moves from technology to infrastructure
The Sluiskil project illustrates a broader shift in Europe’s decarbonisation strategy. For industries such as fertilisers, ammonia, cement and waste management, simply switching energy sources may not eliminate all emissions. CCS offers a pathway to address process-related emissions while allowing industrial production to continue.
The challenge, however, is not limited to installing capture equipment. Projects require coordinated infrastructure for CO₂ liquefaction, transportation and permanent storage. The Yara-Northern Lights partnership demonstrates how infrastructure spanning national borders can connect industrial emitters with geological storage resources.
“Europe needs practical climate solutions that deliver real emissions reductions while strengthening industrial competitiveness,” said Hoekstra. “The carbon capture and storage project at Sluiskil shows what is possible when innovation and cross-border cooperation come together.” Northern Lights, the CO₂ transport and storage operator, will receive the captured carbon at its facilities in Norway and permanently store it offshore. “This is a milestone we have been looking forward to,” said Tim Heijn, Managing Director of Northern Lights. “Together, we are demonstrating that capture and cross-border CO₂ transport and storage is a viable solution for European industry.”
The project also provides a blueprint for a wider European carbon-management market, where shared transport and storage infrastructure could allow industrial companies in multiple countries to access permanent CO₂ storage.
Implications for the fertiliser industry
For Yara, the project has a direct strategic link to its core fertiliser business. Capturing CO₂ from ammonia production can reduce the carbon footprint of fertiliser manufacturing while supporting the development of lower-carbon products. The company expects CCS to help support emerging low-carbon value chains spanning agriculture, industry, energy and shipping. These include lower-carbon fertilisers, low-carbon ammonia for industrial and energy applications, and lower-carbon fuels for the maritime sector.
The economics will ultimately depend on the ability of such projects to operate at scale and under supportive regulatory and market conditions. But the commissioning of the Sluiskil facility represents a notable transition from CCS as a demonstration technology towards functioning industrial infrastructure. For Europe, that distinction matters. The ability to decarbonise existing industrial assets without shifting production and jobs elsewhere is becoming an increasingly important part of the region’s competitiveness debate.
The Sluiskil project therefore represents more than a carbon-capture installation. It is an early example of how industry, governments and cross-border infrastructure operators can build an integrated carbon-management system around Europe’s industrial base.
