Making CCS Work: Insights from Real Industrial Projects

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is often promoted as a key solution for hard-to-abate emissions, but moving from plans to real-world projects is rarely straightforward. What makes implementation so challenging in practice? To explore this, we spoke with two Sweco experts who bring complementary perspectives. Andrea Leoni, a project manager with long experience across multiple carbon capture technologies, now leads Sweco’s Industry group in Oslo. Joren Monsieur, a process engineer and sustainable technologies expert, with focus on the technical side. In this expert talk, they discuss why CCS is challenging, and what it takes to make projects succeed.

Turning CCS Ambition into Execution

The building blocks for CCS have been in place for years, yet progress on real projects has been slower than expected. The gap between technical feasibility and large-scale implementation remains significant. This raises a key question:

Why are CCS projects still not moving forward at the pace we need?

Andrea Leoni: These projects face a combination of technical, economic, and regulatory barriers that slow down deployment. CCS is technically and systemically complex and requires CO₂ to be seen as more than a waste stream with no value. Companies face high CAPEX and energy costs, which are often not competitive with current EU ETS prices. At the same time, unclear policies, storage uncertainties and shifting political priorities add further risk—making it difficult for companies to commit. This is reflected in recent developments such as the 2026 Danish CCUS Fund tender, where 9 out of 10 prequalified companies chose not to submit a bid. In this case, the issue was not just risk, but how it was allocated: the framework placed a disproportionate share of the risk on the companies. Without a more balanced approach and real risk-sharing mechanisms, it becomes very difficult for projects to move forward.

What hurdles do you encounter when moving from idea to execution?

Andrea: CCS projects are very complex and must be managed professionally, with due care. They require a high level of maturity from the outset, but in practice that is often underestimated, which can lead to cost increases as the project develops. We have seen this in several Norwegian projects, where early-stage decisions had significant impacts later. Another challenge is that, while much of the focus is initially on the capture of technology, many of the risks that materialise during execution actually sit outside the capture plant itself, particularly around integration, transport and storage.

Many solutions are marketed as ‘end-of-pipe’ and plug-and-play, but in practice this is rarely the case. Without careful planning and mitigation, integrating carbon capture into an existing plant will almost always impact operations. Project governance also plays an important role. Many emitters are organised around operations and are not set up to manage large-scale CAPEX projects. This increases execution risk. Combined with challenging financing conditions, this often leads to long development timelines.

Joren Monsieur: According to information from Fluxys from early 2024, specific requirements are imposed on the quality of CO₂ before it can be injected into the network. The CO₂ must be at least 95% pure. Contaminants such as oxygen (O₂), NOx, SOx, and water may only be present in very low concentrations, typically limited to a few tens of ppm. Strict limits also apply to other components, such as H₂S. If these substances are present in the CO₂ stream, they must be removed beforehand. The type and concentration of impurities determine which combination of pre-treatment technologies is most suitable.

The Value of Experience in CCS Projects

What is the added value from Sweco at this stage?

Joren: We support CCS projects from start to finish, bringing together our technical expertise, coordination skills, and knowledge of the market.

• Integrated Concept Development: We develop concepts that cover the whole CCS chain from pre-treatment, capture, compression, to connection to the CO₂ grid. Rather than looking at each step separately, we treat the entire process chain as one system and optimize it as a whole.
• Supplier Network & Market Knowledge: Sweco maintains strong relationships with suppliers of CCS and gas treatment technologies, giving clients insight into what solutions are commercially available and which are still in development.
• Technology Selection: Technologies are screened, based on in-house expertise, on technical feasibility and cost-effectiveness in an early project stage. This enables us to move faster, save resources and only selectively consult technology providers with narrower questions.
• Measurement & Data (MRV-ready): Measurement campaigns are planned and supervised to characterise gas streams, their variability, and origin (incl. feedstock traceability and biogenic vs. fossil carbon fraction where relevant). The collected data is translated into design specifications and an MRV-ready dataset to substantiate CDR eligibility, quantify removal potential, and support optimal project performance.

Andrea: As engineering advisors, we act as trusted partners who understand the technology deeply and serve as a bridge between emitters and technology suppliers.

Often, companies focus heavily on their own scope and the interface with the supplier, but CCS requires a holistic view of how it impacts the entire plant. It’s also crucial to know how a solution can be integrated with minimal or no impact on operations. Local requirements can add further complexity, yet with careful planning and the right expertise, these risks can be managed effectively.

Looking back at the CCS projects you’ve worked on, what are the most important lessons for making future projects more successful?

Andrea: Firstly, you need to surround yourself with the best team to successfully execute these complex projects, and you must invest in building the right culture within the project organisation.

It’s also important to make a strategy and stick to it. CCS projects can take many years to move from feasibility study to FID (Final Investment Decision) and finally to construction. It’s essential to execute each phase in the proper order. Invest sufficient time in the feasibility phase to explore all options thoroughly, ensure the chosen technical solution is optimal, and avoid committing to a single technology too early. Understand which requirements drive complexity, schedules, and costs, and where they originate. A disciplined, gated project development approach helps manage these risks and keeps the project on track.

And lastly, aim for continuity in the project team. In one project, the external lawyer joked that he was the longest‑standing team member. Having a strong team in place from day one and throughout the project helps preserve project integrity and keep control over decisions.

Contact our colleagues if you want to know more about CCS:

andrea.leoni@sweco.no

joren.monsieur@swecobelgium.be