According to the IPCC, even if emissions are cut rapidly, 6 billion tonnes (Gt) of CO₂ need to be removed every year by 2050 to stay on track for the 1.5 °C target. This isn’t a theoretical option—it’s a scientific necessity. “The deployment of carbon dioxide removal to counterbalance hard-to-abate residual emissions is unavoidable if net zero CO₂ or GHG emissions are to be achieved.” IPCC AR6 (2022)
The European Union has committed to reaching climate neutrality by 2050 through, first and foremost, urgent, ambitious and sustained reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, supplemented by carbon removals to address residual emissions.
Yet today, Europe stores less than 5 million tonnes per year. By 2050, the EU expects to need 300 million tonnes annually—a 60-fold increase. This gap is not just a climate risk—it’s an opportunity to act now.
Role of Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS)
CCS and Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) are distinct but complementary. CDR removes CO₂ from the atmosphere—vital to all IPCC and EU net-zero climate scenarios. CCS is the foundation: it is the technology that enable the capture of CO₂ from atmospheric and biogenic sources and the storage of CO2 permanently and safely underground.
The EU’s Industrial Carbon Management Strategy and Net-Zero Industry Act mandate at least 50 MtCO₂/year of storage by 2030, assigning binding targets for the achievement of this goal.
Recognised as safe, scalable, and proven, CCS is central to EU climate strategy —and it is at the heart of what Danube Carbon Storage delivers.
Danube Carbon Storage deploys proven technology in the right locations with strong regulatory backing.
Permanent, Safe, and Scalable CO₂ Storage
At Danube Carbon Storage, we capture CO₂ from industrial point sources and store it permanently underground in deep geological formations. These are natural rock layers—called saline aquifers—that have safely held gases and liquids for millions of years. According to the IPCC, over 99% of CO₂ stored this way remains underground even after 1,000 years.
This approach isn’t new. CCS is a proven technology, used globally for decades, with more than 100 million tonnes stored annually in the U.S., and with 200+ new projects in development. In Europe, the CCS Directive and Net-Zero Industry Act assure every step— from site selection, operation, to monitoring and closure—is tightly regulated and controlled.
“availability of suitable sites in Europe is not an issue… there are sufficient geological sites to hold 300 years of CO₂ output of Europe’s major emitters” - Geological Survey Denmark
In other words: storage technology is not the bottleneck—deployment is.