1. Global Capacity Surging, But FID Bottlenecks Persist
Anastasia Cooper, CCUS Research Analyst at Wood Mackenzie, highlighted that global CCUS capacity is forecasted to triple by 2030—from 70 Mtpa today to 250 Mtpa. Yet, only 30% of targeted 2030 capacity has reached FEED (Front-End Engineering Design). Moreover, 70% of projects aiming for FID this decade have not even entered FEED, indicating a risky project pipeline. Despite a record 270 Mtpa expected to reach FID in 2025, without accelerated permitting, cross-border transport frameworks, and investment certainty, the risk of delays remains high.

2. EU Carbon Management Strategy Anchored in Market and Infrastructure Integration
Lukasz KOLINSKI, Director General at the European Commission, emphasized that the EU is anchoring its decarbonization ambitions in industrial carbon management. The Net Zero Industry Act mandates 50 Mtpa of CO₂ storage capacity by 2030, backed by over €850 million in funding. With 14 cross-border projects of mutual interest and an evolving legislative package addressing regulatory fragmentation, the EU aims to create a unified carbon market by reducing permitting delays, repurposing infrastructure, and enabling transparent storage capacity tracking.

3. Norway Scales Open Access Storage to 7 Mtpa with Northern Lights
​Lars Erik Aamot, Director General at the Norwegian Ministry of Energy, presented Norway’s 30-year track record in offshore  CO₂ storage and its rapid expansion under the Longship and Northern Lights projects. Phase 2 of Northern Lights will boost capacity from 1.5 to 7 Mtpa by 2026, supporting emitters in Denmark, the Netherlands, and Sweden. With 13 active storage licenses and vast geological potential (tens of billions of tons), Norway is reinforcing its role as Europe’s CO₂ storage hub—provided emitters commit to long-term offtake contracts.

4. Denmark’s Market-Based Model Drives First-Mover Advantage
​Dr. Anders Hoffmann, Deputy Permanent Secretary at Denmark’s Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities, outlined Denmark’s “market activation” model. With €5 billion in subsidies and 2.9 Mtpa targeted by 2030, Denmark ties public funds directly to verified CO₂ storage outcomes. Contracts are structured over 15 years with penalties for underperformance. Projects like Ørsted’s CCUS deployment, with storage in Norway, exemplify Denmark’s whole-value-chain procurement and its success in solving the capture-transport-storage “chicken and egg” problem.

5. Canada Aligns Federal Tax Credits with Provincial Ambition
​Cynthia Handler, Director General, Office of Energy Research and Development at Natural Resources Canada shared that Canada's CCUS growth is being supported through federal incentives like the Investment Tax Credit (ITC), aligned with provincial-level roadmaps (e.g., Alberta and Saskatchewan). Canada’s current CCUS capacity of ~4 Mtpa is projected to grow significantly through major industrial decarbonization clusters. The government is also finalizing carbon contracts for difference (CCfDs) to reduce investor risk in long-term capture projects.

6. Japan’s Bilateral Approach Aims to Unlock Cross-Border Storage
​Tatsuya Terazawa, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at The Institute of Energy Economics, Japan, detailed Japan’s focus on international CCUS partnerships, especially with Southeast Asia and Australia, to overcome its domestic storage limitations. Through METI and JOGMEC-led programs, Japan has signed MoUs with Malaysia, Indonesia, and Australia to develop export-ready capture facilities and offshore injection projects. Regulatory harmonization and shared infrastructure planning remain essential for realizing Japan’s net-zero ambitions and maintaining industrial competitiveness.

7. Singapore Pivots from Policy Blueprint to Regional Collaboration
​Ow Kai Onn, Director, Carbon Mitigation, at Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore shared updates on Singapore’s National Hydrogen and CCUS Strategy. As a nation with limited geological storage, Singapore is advancing regional CO₂ shipping routes and investing in carbon hubs. Strategic alliances, such as with ExxonMobil and Shell, aim to deploy 2 Mtpa by 2030 through carbon capture from refining and petrochemical operations. The government is concurrently developing regulatory guidance for CO₂ import/export and liability management.