Submitting the permit applications and making them available for public inspection marks a key step in the Aramis project. Due to its size and scale, the project requires three rounds of submission. The first round of applications was submitted in February, and the public notice has been delivered to the Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth. This notice will be available for public inspection from 13 September to 24 October, during which time any individual or group with an interest has the opportunity to submit a view.

Permit applications for Aramis project

• First round of submission: February 2024/Public notice: September 2024
• Second round of submission: July 2024/Public notice: to follow
• Third round of submission: December 2024/Public notice: to follow

Tom Mathysen, integration director at Aramis, is working with the team that is managing the permit application and coordination process. He explains the current situation, the challenges that characterise this stage of the project and the road ahead.

Coordinate and streamline
Aramis is an initiative of TotalEnergies, Shell, Energie Beheer Nederland EBN and Gasunie and is closely interlinked with CO2next (CO₂ terminal), Porthos (compressor station) and the three storage platforms of Shell, TotalEnergies and Eni Energy Netherlands.

“The Aramis initiative is in fact an amalgamation of six different projects”, explains Tom. “Because each party is required to submit its own permit applications, which overlap in places, things can become quite complex. Our job is to liaise with authorities and companies and streamline all the permit application procedures and create a coherent set of documents.”

The project-specific permits are submitted alongside the overarching permit applications for the entire Aramis initiative.

“Impressed”
“Together, we are coordinating the six projects, including the permits required for each. It’s important to involve stakeholders throughout and ensure they understand the implications of the plans.”

Tom emphasises the complexity of the process and of the applications themselves: “With more than 100 experts working on technical, environmental and other impact assessments, it’s a real test of our resolve. We have made incredible progress, though, and I’m really impressed by what the teams have achieved.”

Public notice for first permits in September
If there are no delays to permit approvals, the Final Investment Decision (FID) stage can begin in 2025. The first step will take place in September when the Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth will make the initial draft permits available for inspection. The public will then have six weeks to respond to the proposed plans. Two public consultation meetings will be organised and co-hosted during this period by the ministry and the Aramis project partners. The responses to the proposed plans will inform the content of the final decisions, which are open to appeal.

Consultation meetings
Everyone is welcome to attend one of our public consultation meetings and speak with representatives from the Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth and the Aramis initiative. They will provide additional information about the project and answer any questions. You can attend between 7.00 pm and 9.00 pm on:

• 26 September at Fort 1881, Hoek van Holland
• 3 October at Cultureel Centrum de Man, Oostvoorne

The road ahead: “a mixture of excitement and nerves”
What is the mood like at Aramis as the issue of the first public notice approaches in September?

“We support open dialogue”, says Tom. “And we are committed to giving detailed answers to all questions, even the difficult ones. We will soon be able to demonstrate that we are more than prepared to implement the project as a result of the work we are currently performing.”

Are people nervous or excited? “The people involved in the various projects, as well as the government, have moved mountains during the past three years. But there is still a lot to be done. Our work will go on show for the first time to a very discerning public over the course of the next few months. It’s safe to say we feel a mixture of excitement and nerves.”

A decision should be made on the initial round of permit applications during the first half of 2025.

More information
If you would like to know more about the Aramis project and the public notice of draft permits, please visit the website of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency.