The European Commission publishes revised Guidance Documents to the CCS Directive

On 23 July 2024, the Commission published revised Guidance Documents (GDs) supporting the implementation of Directive 2009/31/EC on the geological storage of carbon dioxide (CCS Directive). These updates were prepared with the support of an independent energy expert and assurance provider DNV, and aim to streamline permitting procedures and support sustainable CO₂ storage solutions in the European Economic Area (EEA).

The update takes stakeholder input into account to provide Member States with enhanced guidance on identifying suitable geological areas for CO₂ storage and adopting a balanced, risk-based approach for financial provisions for storage permits. Key updates focus on novel CO₂ storage technologies in mafic/basalt rocks and depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs, carbon capture and storage (CCS) value chain aspects, corrosion and safety issues, and the regulatory transition from hydrocarbon production to CO₂ storage. The GDs also provide additional guidance for Member States in determining geological areas suitable for CO₂ storage or exploration.

Self-standing Guidance Documents supporting CO₂ storage permitting

The four GDs were initially published in 2011 to assist Member States in implementing the CCS Directive. The CCS Directive, which provides the legal framework for the safe geological storage of CO₂ in countries in the EU and the EEA, has been in place since 2009 and was transposed into national law in June 2011. As demonstrated in the Industrial Carbon Management (ICM) strategy, the role of CCS technologies in reaching climate neutrality has increased significantly, this being reflected both at the level of EU climate policy, and in terms of market and technological developments,

In order to ensure the relevance of the GDs for today’s context, in 2023, the Commission announced the need for an update of the four non-binding Guidance Documents to reflect the global state of the art in CCS and remove ambiguities identified during the implementation of the first technological deployments in the EEA. The revision process began with an assessment phase conducted by DNV which included evaluating the current use of GDs by Competent Authorities and storage operators.

Furthermore, a closed-door stakeholder workshop in June 2023 identified additional areas of improvement. This initial public consultation was followed by an additional in-depth consultation led by Commission services at the level of the Commission and Member States.

Relevance for recent Industrial Carbon Management policies

The update of the non-binding CCS Directive GDs in 2024 is the first step in providing guidance for specific permitting processes for Member States toward establishing a Union market for CO₂ storage services and to attract investments to this emerging industry, in line with the ICM strategy.

Furthermore, this additional guidance is particularly relevant to the recent implementation of the Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA) regulation, which recognises CCS as a strategic net-zero technology. The Act sets an EU-wide objective of 50 million tonnes of annual CO₂ injection capacity to be made available by 2030, and a corresponding obligation for oil and gas companies to contribute to the achievement of this objective. NZIA also introduces a requirement for Member States to make all geological data related to potential CO₂ storage sites publicly available.₂ injection capacity to be made available by 2030, and a corresponding obligation for oil and gas companies to contribute to the achievement of this objective. NZIA also introduces a requirement for Member States to make all geological data related to potential CO₂ storage sites publicly available.

Capacity-building workshops:

To explain the main changes and address questions from the consultation period, the Commission and DNV will hold in-person capacity-building workshops on 17 and 19 September, which will also be livestreamed. More information about the technical update of the CCS Directive GDs can be found on our website. For registering to the capacity-building workshops, please fill in this form.

Read More:

• The Net Zero Industry Act
• Carbon Capture and Storage Directive
• Industrial Carbon Management
• Press Release: Commission sets out how to sustainably capture, store and use carbon to reach climate neutrality by 2050
• Q&A: Industrial Carbon Management