Industrial gas major Nippon Gases has called for Europe to diversify its CO2 sources and build flexible infrastructure to mitigate ongoing supply disruptions associated with ammonia-derived CO2.
Speaking at gasworld’s European CO2 Summit 2025 in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, Azin Eskandari, Europe Business Development Manager HyCO at Nippon Gases, said that dependence on ammonia plants, historically Europe’s largest source of industrial CO2, has become increasingly precarious, with ongoing geopolitical tensions hitting energy prices.
Nippon Gases, the European business of Japanese industrial gas major Nippon Sanso Holdings Corporation, currently sources CO2 from four major ammonia plants in Europe – in the Netherlands, Norway, Germany, and Italy. However, Eskandari highlighted a clear strategic shift by the company toward biogenic alternatives.
Azin Eskandari, Europe Business Development Manager HyCO at Nippon Gases
These include bioethanol plants in Wilton, UK, and in Cartagena, Spain, plus a newly commissioned facility in Germany. Nippon Gases has also recently started a CO2 recovery project in France, capturing biomethane off-gases via a 16-kilometre pipeline that connects five biomethane units to a centralised liquefaction plant.
“Diversification is important for two reasons,” Eskandari said. “First, to reduce dependence on fossil fuels; and second, to prevent shortages and disruptions.”
Eskandari added that reliable transportation, whether by truck, pipeline, or ship, is equally essential for resilient CO2 supply chains. She noted that ships had become particularly important due to their “cost-effective way of moving large amounts of CO2 for long distances.”
Nippon Gases is involved in the Norwegian government-backed Northern Lights sequestration project, which will soon operate three large-scale CO2 ships capable of transporting 350,000 tonnes annually.
Eskandari also noted that securing investment, navigating strict regulations, and addressing public safety concerns were significant challenges to developing CO2 infrastructure.
“Coordinating and planning a comprehensive CO2 transportation network involves collaboration between multiple stakeholders, agencies, industries, and communities.”
The sentiments from Eskandari and Nippon Gases were similar in their positioning to statements from Air Products earlier on day-two of the Summit, where Benelux General Manager Harco Van Der Berg called for reduced reliance on ammonia-derived CO2 and an increased focus on biogenic sources.
