European Innovation Fund supports Aramis Launch Stores
The Launch Stores — offshore storage sites — will play a key role in large-scale CO₂ storage under the North Sea. Franc Boverhof, CCS Deputy Midstream Manager, explains how the Innovation Fund, combined with cutting-edge engineering, teamwork and transparency, is contributing to the realisation of this critical infrastructure.
Shell and TotalEnergies are collaborating on two Launch Stores — depleted gas fields under the North Sea being repurposed as permanent CO2 storage sites.
“The Launch Stores will ensure that the captured CO2 doesn’t end up in the atmosphere”, says Franc. “Without reliable storage capacity, everything will come to a halt. No storage means no transport. Without transport, emitters will have nowhere to put their captured CO2.”
These emitters will be Aramis’ end customers: industrial companies that capture their CO2 and rely on the system to deliver it to the offshore storage sites.
Availability has been a core design principle for both Launch Stores: each will be able to temporarily take over the other’s capacity during maintenance or disruption. This built-in flexibility will enhance overall reliability and make the system more attractive to emitters. The Launch Stores will therefore be both technically and economically indispensable to the viability of the Aramis initiative.
Innovative injection method
What will make the Launch Stores truly innovative is the method by which CO₂ will be delivered into the depleted gas fields. This will be done using Friction-Controlled Dual-Phase Injection, a technique in which liquid CO₂ will be injected under carefully controlled conditions. By expertly harnessing the friction within the injection well, a steady transition from liquid to gas will occur.
This gradual phase change will prevent extreme temperature spikes and pressure fluctuations — both critical to ensuring that the CO₂ can be stored safely and securely while maintaining high injection availability. Because the storage sites are to be located far offshore and the CO₂ must be transported over long distances in liquid form, this breakthrough technology will be essential to the success of the entire system.
Thanks to the European Innovation Fund
The commissioning of the Launch Stores is supported in part by funding from the Innovation Fund. This European grant programme supports innovative projects that contribute to the climate targets for 2030 and 2050. Without this support, the project would not have been financially viable, and the investment burden would have shifted to the emitters. “And that would make it uneconomic for them”, explains Franc. “So, we’re very grateful.”
Thanks to the fund, an existing gas platform (L4A) can be repurposed and a new injection platform (K14) constructed. In doing so, the Innovation Fund is not only enabling the development of the Launch Stores but also strengthening the CCS value chain as a whole.
Transparency and mutual trust
Franc highlights the importance of collaboration and trust in a project of this scale and complexity. During the development of the Launch Stores — and even more so during the funding application — technical, financial and communication teams from Shell and TotalEnergies worked closely together. In the early stages of the joint development, there was a degree of caution: “Each step involved weighing up how much information could and should be shared.”
Real progress happened once the parties fully recognised the mutual benefits of sharing knowledge. Franc observed that the joint funding application only reinforced that insight: “That’s when you really see the best of the collaboration emerge.” This transparency and openness led to mutual trust, better coordination and a stronger partnership between the teams.
Five megatonnes of CO2
Franc emphasises that the impact of the project on Europe’s climate targets will be significant. The two Launch Stores together will be able to store up to five megatonnes of CO₂ per year, which is equivalent to ten per cent of the EU’s total 2030 target.
And that’s only the beginning: once Aramis reaches full capacity, that figure could rise to nearly half of Europe’s total ambition. As a result, Aramis will offer the scalability and long-term resilience needed to meet the 2030 and 2050 climate targets while driving the energy transition forward, both in the Netherlands and across Europe.
Aramis as a catalyst
The support from the Innovation Fund reflects Europe’s confidence in the value and feasibility of the Aramis initiative. Aramis will make a direct contribution to Europe’s climate goals and aligns with the ambitions of the Net-Zero Industry Act.
The initiative is also seen as a catalyst — an example that can inspire and accelerate other projects. Franc concludes, “Europe is investing because the project will reduce CO₂ and offer technologies that can be replicated elsewhere.” This means that Aramis will contribute not only to CO₂ storage but also to the success of similar initiatives across Europe.
Go to www.aramislaunchstores.com to learn more about the Aramis Launch Stores project and discover how CO₂ storage in depleted gas fields is contributing to a more sustainable future.