Dutch firm proposes CO2 import terminal in Darwin Harbour, Australia

Australia's Northern Territory Government and Dutch engineering company Royal Vopak have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the development of common-user infrastructure including a CO2 import terminal in the Middle Arm Sustainable Development Precinct in Darwin Harbour.

The MOU frames how the government and Vopak will cooperate to progress the development of common user CO2 import, storage, and handling infrastructure in Darwin.

Royal Vopak said the CO2 import, storage, and handling infrastructure will be designed to manage the import, storage, and distribution of CO2 in an efficient and accessible way. The facility will be shared infrastructure that can be used by various companies to help manage CO2 emissions.

The imported CO2 can come from different sources such as industrial plants that capture CO2 to prevent it from being released to the atmosphere. Also, CO2 from neighbouring countries can be handled.

Once the CO2 is imported, it needs to be stored safely in large tanks before it will be transferred to a permanent destination, for example in underground facilities, or followed by recycling the CO2 for utilisation (CCUS).