Norway-based fertilizer company Yara has launched what it calls the largest industrial carbon dioxide (CO2) capture facility in Europe at its Sluiskil plant in the Netherlands. This new installation is expected to capture up to 800,000 tons of CO2 annually, which is about half a percent of the Netherlands' total yearly emissions. The project marks the completion of the world's first transboundary chain for capturing, transporting, and permanently storing CO2 at an industrial scale, involving cooperation across national borders. The CO2 captured at the Sluiskil plant will be transported by ship to Norway’s Øygarden terminal near Bergen. From there, it will be injected through pipelines approximately 100 kilometers offshore into a saline aquifer located 2,600 meters below the North Sea floor. This process is part of the Northern Lights project, the world's first commercial service for transporting and storing CO2. The initiative is led by major oil companies Equinor, Shell, and TotalEnergies, and Yara is its first commercial client. The technology used, known as carbon capture and storage (CCS), involves capturing CO2 emissions at the source—such as factory chimneys—then liquefying and transporting it to be stored in underground geological formations. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has highlighted CCS as a potential solution for reducing emissions from industries that are difficult to decarbonize, such as cement production and steelmaking. However, despite rising carbon prices and public support, the technology remains expensive and challenging to finance. Northern Lights, which officially began operations in 2025, has so far signed only a few commercial contracts with industrial and energy companies in Europe. The project is largely funded by the Norwegian government and currently has an annual storage capacity of 1.5 million tons of CO2, with plans to expand to 5 million tons by the end of the decade. European Commissioner for Climate Wopke Hoekstra praised the project, saying it exemplifies how innovation and cross-border collaboration can lead to real emission reductions while maintaining industrial competitiveness. The inauguration was attended by Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, highlighting the significance of the initiative at both national and European levels.