The Netherlands' highest court has ruled in favor of the construction of a significant carbon capture project in the Rotterdam port area, despite objections raised by environmental activists. The project, named "Porthos," is intended to be Europe's largest carbon capture and storage facility and is projected to reduce the country's annual CO2 emissions by approximately 2% over a 15-year period starting in 2026.

Under the Porthos project, carbon dioxide emitted by refineries and chemical plants operated by companies like Shell, Exxon Mobil, Air Liquide, and Air Products would be transported to vacant gas fields beneath the North Sea.

Although a preliminary ruling in November had suggested the project might need to be halted due to non-compliance with European environmental guidelines, the court has now determined that research commissioned by the government indicates the construction's impact on nearby nature reserves would be limited and temporary, mitigating concerns raised by environmental activists about nitrogen oxide emissions during construction.

The developers of the Porthos project, including Rotterdam port authorities and Dutch gas company Gasunie, plan to proceed with a final investment decision in the coming weeks. If approved, construction is anticipated to commence early next year.

Carbon capture from large industries is considered crucial to achieving the Dutch government's target of reducing emissions by 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. This ruling comes after a prolonged legal battle aimed at decreasing nitrogen oxide emissions, which can pose a threat to specific plant species and their associated ecosystems.

The Netherlands has faced persistent challenges with elevated nitrogen emissions due to factors such as a significant livestock population, intensive fertilizer use by farmers, and the dense population contributing to traffic and construction-related emissions.

A ruling by the Council of State in 2019 found that emissions from construction and agriculture in the Netherlands were in violation of European laws. This ruling led to protests by farmers and has prompted the government to repeatedly commit to substantial emission reductions, although specific methods for achieving these reductions have not been definitively determined.