Oil and gas company, Shell will get support from the Dutch government in its efforts to reduce its CO2 and nitrogen emissions in the country in the coming years, the government said on Thursday.
Shell is one of the country’s largest polluters and support from the government would include building infrastructure and accelerating permitting procedures needed for projects that would help the company reach its goal of cutting 3.9 megatons of CO2 emissions from its Dutch plants by 2030.
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Shell operates Europe’s largest oil refinery and a large chemical plant in the Rotterdam port area and the government said Shell’s ambition equals 20% of the total cut in CO2 emissions demanded from Dutch industry to reach 2030 climate goals.
To reach its climate goal, Shell intends to store carbon captured at its facilities in empty gas fields under the North Sea while it is also looking at ways to replace fossil fuels with electricity and hydrogen from renewable sources.
The carbon capture project, which would be Europe’s largest, was dealt a blow last year when the Dutch High Court said it might have to be halted because it did not meet European environmental guidelines.
Story was adapted from Reuters.
