Originally, the CO2 would have been stored permanently in a depleted gas field 20km off the coast.

The new plan is much cheaper, because the gas field is only 3.5km off the coast

The Rotterdam Storage and Capture Demonstration Project (ROAD) is expected to be approved this week.

ROAD is an initative of E.ON Benelux and ENGIE Energie Nederland.

As of 2015, ROAD plans to capture 1.1 million tonnes of CO2 per year from a new power plant at the Maasvlakte and will store the captured CO2 in a depleted gas reservoir under the North Sea.

It is worldwide one of the first projects to realise an integrated chain of CO2 capture, transport and storage on a large scale.

ROAD aims to demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of CCS and it can be deployed on a large scale on power plants and energy-intensive industries.

“Within the context of climate policy, CCS will have to make a important contribution to the reduction of CO2 emissions,” it said.

“The knowledge and experience acquired within ROAD can be instrumental in the commercial introduction of CCS, within 5 to 10 years’ time.”

ROAD is co-financed by the European Commission within the framework of the Energy programme for recovery, the Government of the Netherlands and the Global CCS Institute.