Much of the largest CO2 -emitters are located nearby and Slochteren is the largest CO2 -storage capacity in Europe. The Netherlands should start developing the gas field as an international CO2 storage facility, argues Catrinus Jepma, professor of Sustainable Energy at the Groningen University.

Starting from 2015, large point emitters like the German industry in the Ruhr area and Dutch industries such as Corus and GSM should be connected to a CO2 pipeline network leading to Groningen gas fields, which have an estimated storage capacity for 50 years.

Storing CO2 costs about 40 Euros per tonne, capturing not included, which is tens of Euros above the expected CO2 price on the EU ETS. The energy transition platform recommends that the Dutch government liberates ‘hundreds of millions’ Euros for the development of an international CO2 storage facility. Thus far, the Dutch Cabinet has reserved 80 million Euros for CCS development.