Finland and Norway strengthen cooperation on carbon capture, transportation and storage

Finland and Norway strengthen cooperation on carbon capture, transportation and storage

On 4 September, the Finnish Minister of Climate and the Environment Sari Multala and the Norwegian State Secretary Astrid Bergmål signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate cross-border transport of CO2 for permanent storage in Norway.

The signing took place during the informal meeting between energy ministers in Copenhagen.

This MoU marks a significant step forward in the two countries' collaboration on carbon capture, transport, and storage (CCS). It enables companies to transport CO₂ from Finland to Norway for geological storage under the seabed.

In line with Finland's Government Programme, Finland promotes the introduction and use of technical sinks through several measures. Technical sinks refer to solutions in which CO2 is captured directly from industrial chimneys, for example. In Finland, several projects are currently under way to promote the capture and use of CO2, especially biogenic carbon.

Finland's soil is unsuitable for the permanent storage of CO2. Meanwhile, Norway has more than 28 years of experience in safe and permanent storage of CO2.

The Norwegian Government continues to develop storage opportunities on the Norwegian continental shelf and enable commercial storage of CO2 as a service and as a market opportunity for emission sources.

"Promoting solutions for CO2 capture is one of the key themes of the Government's climate policy. The Memorandum of Understanding with Norway is an important step for Finland towards the large-scale implementation of carbon capture and cross-border storage solutions," says Finnish Minister of Climate and the Environment Sari Multala.

"Norway is committed to developing safe CO2 storage solutions to our European partners. This MoU with Finland strengthens our shared efforts to reach climate goals and supports the development of a commercial market for CO2 storage," says Norwegian State Secretary Astrid Bergmål.

The MoU complements existing international agreements that create the legal framework for cross-border transport of CO2 for permanent storage. This important milestone reflects the shared commitment of Finland and Norway to achieving the climate targets through innovative and collaborative solutions.

Enquiries

Lyydia Ylönen (political questions)
Special Adviser to Minister Sari Multala 
[email protected]
tel. +358 50 476 1341

Hanne Siikavirta
Ministerial Adviser
[email protected]
tel. +358 295 250 049