With the summer holidays behind us, it’s the perfect time to bring you up to speed on the major strides Aramis has made in recent months. We look back on a demanding and productive period, marked by changes, new challenges and steady progress.

In our previous newsletter, we highlighted the importance of collaboration: government, industry and investors joining forces to accelerate the energy transition. Since then, we have taken a significant step forward. The Dutch government has committed €662 million to cover the so-called ‘utilisation risk’—the risk that emerges when the infrastructure is not yet used to its full capacity but is incurring fixed costs. The government support enables us to launch with our first customers even with capacity not fully booked. It’s the result of close cooperation within a joint taskforce and marks a new phase of trust and shared responsibility.

A renewed partnership structure
The government support is accompanied by a shift in the Aramis partnership structure. Public-sector organisations EBN and Gasunie are stepping up as lead investors, a role they officially confirmed in a letter to the Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth. Their involvement reinforces the public nature of the Aramis infrastructure and helps build transparency and trust. Shell and TotalEnergies will continue their involvement in Aramis after the final investment decision through the development of the offshore CO₂ storage sites and by offering services. This rebalanced structure demonstrates strong public commitment to the Aramis initiative and sends a clear signal of confidence in the future.

On track for the final investment decision
Despite the appeal against the permits for the Aramis initiative, preparations for the final investment decision are progressing steadily. In July, the Partner Assurance Review gave shareholders the opportunity to jointly assess whether the project was ready to advance to the next phase. We are also close to completing our preparations for the tender process, which will start from October. And with the technical designs now complete, our focus is shifting to drafting commercial contracts. This marks an important step towards introducing market mechanisms and bringing the Aramis infrastructure into operation.

Beach days and barbecues
It hasn’t been all work and no play, though. This summer, the entire team headed to the beach for an afternoon of fresh air, space hopper races and a festive barbecue. We all had the chance to relax, catch up and get to know new colleagues. Everyone received a T-shirt with the slogan ‘We’re going all in for Aramis’, a nod to MP Silvio Erkens’ motion urging the government to do the same—a fitting reflection of the dedication our team shows every single day!