Europe’s largest industrial carbon capture facility was officially inaugurated on September 7, 2026, in Sluiskil, the Netherlands. The facility is located at Yara Sluiskil, Europe’s largest ammonia and fertilizer plant that belongs to Norway-headed global crop nutrition and ammonia major Yara International ASA. The project establishes the first complete cross-border value CCS chain for capturing, transporting, and permanently storing carbon dioxide.
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) enables Yara to reduce the carbon footprint of its production and support low-carbon value chains across agriculture, industry, energy and shipping, including:
- Low-carbon fertilizers to support more sustainable food production;
- Low-carbon ammonia for industrial applications and clean energy solutions;
- Low-carbon fuels for the maritime sector.
As Europe’s largest ammonia and fertilizer plant, Yara Sluiskil can capture and liquefy up to 800,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually from ammonia production, thereby avoiding carbon taxation on these volumes.
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. As global competition intensifies, Europe must find ways to cut emissions while keeping industry, jobs and critical value chains in Europe. That is exactly what this project is about, said Svein Tore Holsether, President and CEO of Yara International.
Following interim storage at Yara Sluiskil, the liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO2) will be shipped by Northern Lights to Øygarden, Norway, for permanent storage beneath the seabed.
With the right framework conditions in place, the project is expected to capture and store around 12 million tonnes of CO2 over the next 15 years, making a significant contribution to European climate goals and industrial transformation.
A strategic investment in Europe’s industrial future
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a critical part of the climate solution for energy-intensive industries, but also an important enabler of Europe’s industrial competitiveness.
The technology makes it possible to reduce emissions from energy-intensive industries like fertilizers, ammonia, cement and waste management while maintaining production, jobs and value creation in Europe.
Europe needs practical climate solutions that deliver real emissions reductions while strengthening industrial competitiveness. The carbon capture and storage project at Sluiskil shows what is possible when innovation and cross-border cooperation come together. This is exactly the kind of project Europe needs to combine climate ambition with a strong and resilient industrial base, said Wopke Hoekstra, European Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth.
The project demonstrates how cooperation across value chains and national borders can unlock substantial emissions reductions in European industry.
It also shows how shared infrastructure can help accelerate industrial decarbonization by enabling companies across Europe to access permanent CO₂ storage solutions.
This is a milestone we have been looking forward to. We are proud to start operations together with Yara and to see the agreement signed in 2023 become reality. Together, we are demonstrating that capture and cross-border CO2 transport and storage is a viable solution for European industry. This is an important step in the development of Europe’s carbon management market and shows what is possible when industry and governments work together to build the infrastructure needed for Europe’s transition, said Tim Heijn, Managing Director of Northern Lights.
