Nitrogen ruling puts Dutch CCS project on hold

In 2017 the environmental organisation Mobilisation for the Environment (MOB) went to the European Court of Justice to challenge the Dutch system for protecting Natura 2000 areas from nitrogen pollution. In May 2019, the court ruled in their favour and since then the Dutch government has been struggling to find a policy solution that brings nitrogen emissions down to acceptable levels. In July 2021, a new law was passed with the aim of replacing the old permit processes in the short term.

Now MOB has acted again. In a case against Porthos, a planned CCS project in Rotterdam, they have disputed parts of the new law that exempt large construction projects from controls on nitrogen-based pollutants. On November 2, the Netherlands’ top administrative court ruled that the exemption was not in line with EU nature protection law.

This does not stop the Porthos’ project, but it will likely be delayed up to half a year, a spokesperson told ENDS Europe, the time they estimate is needed for a new permit process.

The intention of the project is to capture the CO₂ emissions of companies in the port of Rotterdam, such as hydrogen producers Air Liquide and Air Products and oil companies such as ExxonMobil and Shell, as well as other major emitters and chemical companies in the Netherlands, and to transport them via an undersea pipeline to an old gas platform twenty kilometres offshore. The CO₂ will then be pumped into an empty gas field and stored at a depth of three to four kilometres. Before the ruling, Porthos aimed to be operational in 2024/2025.

The planned injection of 2.5 million tonnes of CO₂ a year until the site reaches capacity after 15 years was equivalent to just 1.5% of the Netherlands’ annual emissions, MOB observed. You could “offset that with 25% fewer cows”, MOB president Johan Vollenbroek said.

In addition to delaying the Porthos project, the ruling will have consequences for all sorts of construction projects in the country. Since the general exemption has now been declared invalid, all construction projects must calculate how much nitrogen is emitted both during and after construction.

According to the Council of State, the measures that the Dutch government wants to take to reduce nitrogen emissions ¬– from buying out farmers to using shore power instead of diesel generators for shipping – are too uncertain and have not yet been implemented. That is why they should not be regarded as compensation for the nitrogen released during construction projects.

Kajsa Pira

Source: ENDS daily, 3 November 2022
Change Inc, 2 November 2022 https://www.change.inc/infra/uitspraak-raad-van-state-porthos-project-39131

In this issue

Greater efforts to improve EU air quality needed

The proposal for a new EU air quality standard is an important step closer to the WHO's guidelines, but there are still health and economic gains in lowering the acceptable levels even further.

Editorial: Air pollution exposure will remain unacceptably high

Air pollution is the leading environmental risk factor affecting public health in Europe. The current EU annual PM₂.₅ ambient air quality standard is relatively lax, and notably higher ...

Nitrogen ruling puts Dutch CCS project on hold

In 2017 the environmental organisation Mobilisation for the Environment (MOB) went to the European Court of Justice to challenge the Dutch system ...

Ways through the rare earth element bottleneck

It has never been so important to find ways to overcome the barriers of dependency on rare earth elements for the renewable energy transition.

Climate change will worsen air quality

Scenarios show that global warming will increase the formation of ozone in densely populated regions, and forest fires can affect particle levels far away from the fires.

The remaining global carbon budget leaves little headroom for Europe

As the world fails to reduce emissions fast enough, the remaining carbon budget is shrinking rapidly, as shown by recent studies on carbon budgets for Germany and for Europe.

Richest 1% of the world responsible for 17% of emissions

New analysis taking into account rich people’s consumption behaviour as well as their investment decisions shows a widening gap in responsibility for the climate crisis between rich and poor

Health effects of extreme high temperatures

The effects of climate change are becoming increasingly clear, and the impact of high temperatures is felt universally. AirClim has co-published ...

Air pollution can damage children for life

Exposure to air pollution can prevent children's organs from developing to full capacity, since they have more sensitive lungs and immature immune systems.

Proposal to integrate maritime transport in the EU ETS

In July 2021, the European Commission proposed, as part of the Fit-for-55 package, to amend the Emissions Trading Directive by including maritime transport in the EU ETS.

EU must phase-out coal and gas and promote plant-rich diets to deliver on methane

The draft Methane Action Plan mostly lists existing policies and proposals. To fulfill its 30% reduction commitment the EU must include action to slash the use of fossil fuels and reduce meat consumption.

Whole of Europe must do more to align with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target

New scientific report presents technically feasible, 1.5°C compatible energy and emissions pathways for the group of 46 countries that make up the whole of Europe.

The higher the energy efficiency target, the greater the benefits

A new report by Cambridge Econometrics quantifies the benefits resulting from higher levels of ambition for the 2030 energy efficiency target.

Regulating the most polluting livestock farms is justified

Revising the Industrial Emissions Directive to include cattle and lower the size threshold to 150 Livestock Units will only affect 13% of the EU’s largest commercial farms.

EU must reform the ETS to make it an effective instrument

The Oeko-Institut suggests a number of technical measures that could be used to strengthen the EU ETS in the coming years.

European research infrastructures for climate change and air pollution policies

Behind the acronyms of European research infrastructures there are some useful resources. Here is an overview of some of the most significant.

Main menu

Nitrogen ruling puts Dutch CCS project on hold

In this issue

Greater efforts to improve EU air quality needed

Editorial: Air pollution exposure will remain unacceptably high

Nitrogen ruling puts Dutch CCS project on hold

Ways through the rare earth element bottleneck

Climate change will worsen air quality

The remaining global carbon budget leaves little headroom for Europe

Richest 1% of the world responsible for 17% of emissions

Health effects of extreme high temperatures

Air pollution can damage children for life

Proposal to integrate maritime transport in the EU ETS

EU must phase-out coal and gas and promote plant-rich diets to deliver on methane

Whole of Europe must do more to align with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target

The higher the energy efficiency target, the greater the benefits

Regulating the most polluting livestock farms is justified

EU must reform the ETS to make it an effective instrument

European research infrastructures for climate change and air pollution policies

Publications

Food for Thought

Northern forests, climate change and the UNFCCC

EU climate targets aligned with the Paris agreement’s 1.5°C objective

Baltic Sea Offshore Wind Collaborative-Learning project

Air pollution in Europe and children’s health

Climate Change: A Himalayan Odessey

No further discussion needed. The agreed global goal is to limit temperature rise to 1.5°C

Fossil-free electricity 2021

What we do

Air pollution

Climate Change

Policy initiatives

Do Your Bit!