CCS Project Database
Company/Alliance: Shell
Location: Barendrecht, Netherlands
Start Date: Project has been cancelled by the government due to delays and public opposition
Original schedule: Phase 1: Start (2013) 3 years injection at 1700 meters
Phase 2: 25 years injection at 2700 meters
Size: 0.4 MT/Yr (Current emissions from the refinery are 4.5 MT/Yr)
CO2 Source: Pernis Gas Refinery
Storage: Two depleted gas fields near the Pernis Refinery that have a combined capacity estimate of over 10 million tons
Motivation/Economics:
The project had originally received approval by the Dutch Government and was eligible for government funding provided the project obtains the necessary permits and the final investment decision by Shell. The Dutch Government has said it will allocate $39.2 million to the project if it gets the go-ahead. However in November 2010 the Dutch Government cancelled the project mainly due to local opposition about CO2 storage. Since then the Dutch Government has ruled out on-shore CO2 storage in the Netherlands.
Comments:
The town of Barendrecht had shown huge opposition to the Sequestration project. This opposition was unexpected, especially in environmentally friendly Netherlands, and Shell was not prepared for the scale of the not-in-my-backyard opposition. In June 2009 the Municipality of Barendrecht voted against CO2 storage in Barendrecht. The local opposition, and early national elections, had initially caused a delay in the start date by 3 years to 2013. The start date was delayed further before the project was finally cancelled by the Dutch Government in 2010.
Barendrecht had seen a huge boom in commuter population in the last 30 years with its population growing from 15,000 to 50,000. There was also significant government dissatisfaction in the region.
Project Link: Barendrecht Project website is no longer active
Other Sources and Press Release:
Shell Barendrecht project cancelled (November 2010)
Carbon storage? Not under my house (November 2009)
Shell's CO2 storage hits a snag (April 2009)
