'Without CCU there is no circularity.' It was the common thread during the CCU FWD congress on Oct. 2 in Groningen. A day when entrepreneurs, researchers and policymakers came together with one ambition: to make the Northern Netherlands the place where carbon regains value.
CO2 as a raw material for growth
The central question of the day: how do we make CO2 not a waste, but a valuable building block for new products? According to Matthias Heinemann of the University of Groningen, the opportunities for the region are there for the taking. 'We have industry, knowledge and infrastructure here. The challenge lies in cleverly combining technology, energy and market.'
That vision was further explored in contributions by Mark Schmets (Ministry of Climate and Green Growth) and during a panel discussion led by Elzo de Lange. That discussion, which included Joost Dobben(Groningen Seaports), Gerwin Wiersma (Province of Groningen) and Wilfred de Jager(EEW), focused on the development of the CCU Fieldlab at the Chemport Innovation Center. There, technologies will soon be tested that allow CO2 to be converted into fuels, plastics and chemicals.
We have all the building blocks. Now it's time to put them together.
A congress participant
From ideas to concrete chains
The afternoon was dominated by four working sessions in which participants examined together how the region can strengthen its position.
- Industrial CCU chains: cooperation and economies of scale are crucial. The building blocks - CO2, hydrogen, knowledge and infrastructure - are in place, but the business case requires policy and market incentives.
- Research and development: the call for a regional platform where knowledge institutions and companies can jointly apply for European innovation subsidies was widely shared.
- Policy and market creation: introducing an offtake obligation - a mandatory share of CCU materials in products - could stimulate demand and create a level playing field between CCU and CCS.
- Infrastructure: here it was established that Eemshaven focuses on CO2 storage and Delfzijl on reuse. The challenge lies in the efficient use of space and underground infrastructure. Innovations such as multicore pipes and shared pipelines offer perspective.
The same message emerged from all sessions: the technology is there, but the step to large-scale application requires cooperation, policy and investment security.
Energy and new connections
What participants especially took away from the day was the sense of urgency as well as optimism. The evaluations showed that the work sessions were particularly appreciated because of the room for dialogue and concrete action points. Many attendees indicated that they had established new collaborations or made follow-up agreements.
Moreover, the energy of the congress reached beyond the walls of the House of Connections. Online posts about CCU FWD also reached more than 10,000 professionals, with a remarkable amount of involvement from business and research institutions. This makes it clear that CCU as a topic is alive and well - not only in the region, but also nationally.
The next step: from vision to implementation
The outcomes of CCU FWD are the starting point for follow-up actions in 2025 and 2026. On January 22, 2026, Chemport will organize a digital follow-up session with the partners, focusing on the progress of the themes discussed. An in-depth meeting will follow later in the spring, focused on forming consortia and concretizing projects within the CCU Forward Challenge.
Chemport and organizational partners want to use these steps to further grow a network of companies, researchers and policy makers. Together they are working toward a region where CO2 is no longer seen as waste, but as a raw material for economic growth and climate impact.
As one participant put it, "We have all the building blocks. Now it's time to put them together.'
The time to act is now
CCU FWD showed that the transition to a circular carbon economy is not a distant vision of the future, but is taking shape here and now. With its strong industrial base, knowledge infrastructure and cooperation between public and private parties, the Northern Netherlands has everything it needs to lead the way in the carbon transition.
The time to act is now. And the North is doing just that.