The Global CCS Institute now counts 113 commercial carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects operating worldwide. That is more than four times the 2021 total. Its Global Status of CCS 2026 report, released October 20, 2026, shows the Americas leading with 48 million tonnes per year of operating capture capacity.
Europe is taking a different path. It is building shared, cross-border transport and storage networks that let many emitters use the same pipelines, ships, and reservoirs.
Key Facts
- 113 commercial CCS projects are operating worldwide in 2026, more than four times the 2021 count (Global CCS Institute, October 2026)
- 77 projects were operating in the 2025 report, so the fleet grew by 36 projects in one year
- Operating capture capacity is expected to exceed 100 million tonnes per year once projects under construction start up
- The Americas hold 48 million tonnes per year of operating capture capacity, the largest regional share
- Europe has 15 operating projects, 21 under construction, and a pipeline that could reach 141 million tonnes per year
- More than 400 million tonnes of CO2 have been stored underground since 1996
- About one in three projects tracked by the Institute are transport and storage schemes
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What Does 113 Operating CCS Projects Mean for the Industry?
The global CCS fleet grew from 77 operating projects in 2025 to 113 in 2026. That is a gain of 36 facilities, or about 47 percent, in a single year.
The 2025 report, published October 9, 2025, also listed 47 projects in construction with 44 million tonnes per year of capture capacity. It tracked another 610 projects in development.
Today's operating projects span cement, hydrogen, ammonia, fertilizer, and natural gas processing. Together, CCS facilities have stored more than 400 million tonnes of CO2 underground since Norway's Sleipner project began injecting in 1996.
The bigger change is structural. Around one in three projects tracked by the Institute is now a transport and storage scheme. These networks serve multiple emitters instead of a single plant.
The Northern Lights terminal in Øygarden, Norway, receives shipped CO2 from European emitters for permanent storage under the North Sea.
Why Do the Americas Lead Global CCS Capacity?
The Americas hold 48 million tonnes per year of operating capture capacity, the largest share of any region in the 2026 report. The United States leads that total.
Permitting activity is a key driver. As of July 2026, 106 Class VI applications covering 387 wells were under review, according to Enverus. Three final Class VI permits were issued in 2026 by early July, matching the full 2025 total.
Five CCS projects were injecting CO2 through Class VI wells at the end of the first quarter of 2026. Together, they provide 5.2 million tonnes per year of injection capacity.
Texas gained primary authority over Class VI wells on November 12, 2025, effective December 15, 2025. The Railroad Commission of Texas now runs those reviews. It inherited 18 pending applications from the federal queue.
Gulf Coast storage is already advancing. The EPA issued three Class VI permits to ExxonMobil in October 2025 for its Rose project in Jefferson County, Texas. The wells can inject up to 5 million tonnes per year over 13 years.
The Midwest is opening up as well. EPA Region 7 issued the first Class VI permit in Kansas on April 10, 2026. PureField Ingredients will store up to 1.8 million tonnes from its Russell ethanol plant over 12 years.
Canada is adding hub-scale storage. Enhance Energy started building the Origins CCS Hub near Clive, Alberta, in September 2026. The hub targets operations in January 2027 with up to 1.5 million tonnes per year.
On July 2, 2026, Canada, Alberta, and the Oil Sands Alliance signed a trilateral memorandum on the Pathways CCS project. It targets shared transport and storage by 2032 and 6 million tonnes per year of reductions by 2035.
"Scaling CCS increasingly depends on systems rather than standalone projects."
Jarad Daniels, CEO, Global CCS Institute
How Is Europe Building Shared Carbon Storage Networks?
Europe has 15 operating CCS projects and 21 under construction, according to the Institute. Its development pipeline could reach 141 million tonnes per year if projects proceed as planned.
Northern Lights, a joint venture of Equinor, Shell, and TotalEnergies, began commercial injection into the Aurora reservoir in August 2025. Its first phase handles 1.5 million tonnes per year and is fully booked.
The partners took a final investment decision on Phase 2 in March 2025, budgeting 7.5 billion Norwegian kroner. The expansion lifts capacity to more than 5 million tonnes per year from 2028. Stockholm Exergi has signed a 15-year deal to store 900,000 tonnes per year of biogenic CO2 there.
In Rotterdam, Porthos is under construction with 2.5 million tonnes per year of storage capacity. The project is a joint venture of EBN, Gasunie, and the Port of Rotterdam Authority.
Porthos completed well conversion for CO2 storage in January 2026. Its buildings are due for completion by the end of 2026, with storage starting in 2027.
"Industrial emissions are often concentrated in regions with limited storage resources, while other countries have substantial geological capacity but fewer emissions sources. Europe's task is to connect the two. This is no longer simply a series of individual CCS projects; the foundations of a connected European carbon management system are starting to emerge."
Dr. Richard Leese, Head of Europe, Global CCS Institute
Private capital is following these networks. Eni CCUS Holding raised £500 million ($669 million) from 13 international commercial lenders through non-recourse project finance.
Cross-border rules are expanding too. Bilateral CO2 agreements now link Finland with Norway and Denmark, Switzerland with Denmark, and Belgium with Norway and the UK.
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About 9,000 kilometers of CO2 pipelines are planned under the EU's Projects of Mutual and Common Interest framework. That network would connect industrial clusters with offshore storage across the continent.
Which CCS Projects Are Moving From Plans to Operation?
The Institute expects global operating capacity to pass 100 million tonnes per year once current construction projects start up. The table below tracks verified milestones for projects covered in this article.
| Project | Location | Status | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Lights | Øygarden, Norway | Operating since August 2025; Phase 2 under way | 1.5 Mtpa, rising to 5+ Mtpa from 2028 |
| Porthos | Rotterdam, Netherlands | Under construction; storage from 2027 | 2.5 Mtpa |
| Rose (ExxonMobil) | Jefferson County, Texas | Three Class VI permits issued October 2025 | Up to 5 Mtpa over 13 years |
| PureField Ingredients | Russell, Kansas | Class VI permit issued April 10, 2026 | Up to 1.8 Mt over 12 years |
| Origins CCS Hub | Clive, Alberta | Construction started September 2026; operations January 2027 | Up to 1.5 Mtpa |
| Pathways CCS | Northern Alberta | Trilateral MOU signed July 2, 2026; shared network by 2032 | 6 Mtpa of reductions by 2035 |
Several of these projects rely on a shared-service model. Yara's ammonia facility in the Netherlands captures CO2 for storage in Norway through Northern Lights.
Yara’s Sluiskil ammonia plant in the Netherlands captures and liquefies up to 800,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year for ship transport to Northern Lights and permanent storage under the North Sea.
Where the Next 100 Million Tonnes Comes From
Growth is not limited to the Atlantic basin. The Institute also points to supportive CCS policy in China, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates.
Several near-term milestones are already scheduled. Origins targets January 2027, Porthos targets storage in 2027, and Northern Lights Phase 2 targets 2028.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many CCS projects are operating worldwide in 2026?
The Global CCS Institute counts 113 commercial CCS projects in operation in its October 2026 report. That compares with 77 in its October 2025 report.
Which region has the most CCS capture capacity?
The Americas lead with 48 million tonnes per year of operating capture capacity, primarily in the United States. Europe has the fastest-growing shared storage networks, with a pipeline that could reach 141 million tonnes per year.
What is a CO2 transport and storage network?
It is shared infrastructure that moves captured CO2 from many emitters to a common storage site by pipeline or ship. About one in three projects tracked by the Institute now fall into this category.
With 113 projects running and 48 million tonnes per year of capacity in the Americas alone, CCS has moved well past the pilot stage. The next phase will be measured in connected networks, not single plants.
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