Now that summer is here, I am excited to share the latest Aramis developments with you. The momentum we talked about in our March newsletter continues unabated. Both Aramis and CCS in general have made significant steps forward over the past few months. Our team has worked tirelessly, team spirit is good, and the energy is palpable. After our recent leap of progress, it is now time to recharge and prepare for a dynamic return after the summer break.

Recent efforts have seen progress on all fronts. Our contractor, Petrofac in Woking (UK), is working hard on finishing the Front-End Engineering Design. This is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2024. And the first necessary permits have been submitted to the government, which plans to make them available for public review after summer. This will provide better insight into public perception of the project decision and the required environmental permits.

Our commercial team has drafted a joint development agreement that will allow our customers to reserve capacity with Aramis and ensure the joint development of our projects with them. Upon signing the compression and transportation agreement, the reservation will be converted into a final booking. Development of the compression and transportation agreement is currently underway.

In short, a lot of work has been done. I am proud of our team and look forward to the next steps.

Congratulations to Porthos!

We want to congratulate Porthos on the start of construction of the CO₂ transport and storage infrastructure, which will be the first project of its kind to be realised in the Netherlands. As the transport system has additional capacity, it can also act as the beating heart of other CCS projects in the future. For instance, the Porthos compressor station will also be able to service Aramis in due course. The first drilling under the Maasvlakte seawall took place on 13 April, a significant milestone because — after years of research, discussions and planning — it makes CCS as a climate technology tangible and visible to the public. As a partner, Aramis is delighted with this important step.

Response to Mulder Report

On 16 April, Minister Adriaansens (Economic Affairs and Climate Policy), Minister Jetten (Climate and Energy Policy) and State Secretary Vijlbrief (Extractive Industries) presented the Dutch House of Representatives with the report Expert Opinion on the Market Organisation of Carbon Capture and Storage. The report, written by Professor Mulder, provides an analysis of the current CCS market. It also offers recommendations for the future direction of Dutch CCS policy. The Aramis project is extensively and carefully reviewed in this context.

Both Professor Mulder’s research and the ministers’ responses offer a comprehensive view of the complexities within the CCS value chain. All stakeholders have their own concerns and want to make sure their interests are properly considered. It is therefore advantageous that market organisation has been looked at from every perspective. Mulder makes a number of recommendations that have been adopted by the government. There is no fundamental change of direction, but there will be more emphasis on coordination across the chain, transparency and supervision.

It goes without saying that transparency is a key value at Aramis. To provide more transparency regarding our transport capacity status, we have added this information to our website. The government letter and Prof Mulder's report are available online (in Dutch).

Aramis Team Day 2024

The Aramis Team Day took place on Tuesday, 18 June. It was an enjoyable occasion dedicated to collaboration and connection. Approximately 50 team members gathered in an informal setting to converse, learn and get to know each other better — important not only on a professional level but on a personal one too. Although everyone has a busy agenda, all participants were eager to set time aside to strengthen ties within the team.

The highlight of the day was a speech by Olympic rower Dirk Uittenbogaard. We enjoyed listening to his inspiring presentation, during which he talked about ways to strengthen team resilience. He stressed how vital it is to always look ahead, even in the face of setbacks, instead of dwelling on what is not working. He also emphasised the need to become aware of what you can — and cannot — influence. Thank you, Dirk!