On the evening of Wednesday, September 4th, an inspiring training session took place for the Venturn Young Professionals (VYP’ers), in which Hans Meeuwsen, Project Director of the Porthos project, played a central role. Porthos is the first Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project in the Netherlands that will actually be put into operation.
This innovative project focuses on transporting and storing CO2 from four industrial partners in the Port of Rotterdam. Starting in 2026, 2.5 million tons of CO2 will be permanently stored each year in an empty gas field beneath the North Sea. This contributes to achieving the Dutch climate goals of a 55% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030 and full climate neutrality by 2050.
During the training, the VYP’ers received a detailed explanation of the project, covering both technical and policy challenges. Hans Meeuwsen emphasized that CCS is currently a feasible and relatively quick solution for the industry, as alternatives like green hydrogen are still insufficiently available and affordable. There was also discussion about the societal challenges surrounding CCS, where trainees were encouraged to think about how to change the negative perception of this technology among some stakeholders. The focus was on convincing various parties, from governments to businesses, to collaborate on a sustainable future that requires all possible interventions.
The evening concluded with an engaging business case and a lively discussion on building support for such complex projects. For the VYP’ers, it was a valuable and insightful session that provided not only technical knowledge but also insight into stakeholder management and strategic thinking.
