The export and storage of Greek CO2 in Northern Italy is put on the table

Photo: Eni

The government is examining the scenario of transferring quantities of carbon dioxide from Greek industries to the first CO2 capture and storage project that began operating in the Mediterranean, the one in Ravenna, Italy.

The issue was raised in 12-05-2025, during contacts held in Rome by Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy Nikos Tsafos, in order for the installation in Northern Italy, the first phase of which took place at the end of last year, to constitute an outlet for the needs of Greek industry.

"In the field of carbon capture and storage, we talked about the possibility of Greek companies storing carbon dioxide in Ravenna — thus providing an additional solution for our industry to remain competitive as it moves towards decarbonization ," Mr. Tsafos said in  a post in 11-05-2025, outlining the discussions.

The above, however, raises a question related to the potential of the facility and the huge demand from the Italian industry. In its first phase, the " Ravenna CCS" project , by Eni and Snam, (main shareholder of DESFA), which began receiving CO2 volumes last September, will capture 25,000 tons per year.

In its second phase, it will reach a storage capacity of 4 million tons of CO2 per year, with the Italian side having stated that the capacity could approach 8 million tons.

At the same time, however, Italian industry emits approximately 60 million tons of CO2 per year.

The question is whether a facility with a capacity of 4 (even 8 million tons) can store CO2 from third countries, when the logical thing is that the capacity will be exceeded by Italian companies.

In the Adriatic Sea, there are indeed many old natural gas deposits, which will eventually be exhausted.

In these, indeed, the game could open up in the future, however, priority will always be given to the Italian industry with its 60 million tons of CO2 per year (5 times more than our own quantities), and then everyone else. 

However, Kyriakos Mitsotakis also made reference to the issue in his joint statements with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. "In the energy sector, there are other aspects that offer significant opportunities for cooperation, such as carbon dioxide capture and storage projects, where Greece has the know-how and European funding, Italy has the cavities, the spaces where this dioxide can be stored.

And it could potentially be a model pilot program to show that the countries of the south, dear Giorgia, are at the forefront of this great technological revolution," the Prime Minister noted.

What did they say about hydrocarbons?

According to the information, the issue of CO2, along with of course the  signing  of the MUO between IPTO-TERNA for the second Greece-Italy cable, were the most basic issues on the energy agenda of 11-05-2025 contacts.

On a second level, hydrogen and Greek hydrocarbons were also discussed. On this issue, the Greek side informed the Italian side about the developments in our country, and about the international competition with the four new concessions following the expression of interest from Chevron, for which the Eastern Mediterranean (and Greece) is high on its business plan.

ENI has been active in the Eastern Mediterranean for decades, having discovered the Zor field in 2015 and playing a key role in the deal concluded in February with Cyprus and Egypt. Namely, the transportation of gas from the Kronos field, located off Cyprus, to the Zor facilities, before being liquefied at the Damietta LNG plant and exported to European markets.

When asked whether Italian companies have expressed interest in participating in Greece's international tender for the blocks of Crete and the Southern Peloponnese, people with knowledge of the processes limit themselves to the laconic answer "interesting things are happening in the region."

Read more: energypress.gr