Lisbon, Jan. 23, 2026 (Lusa) - The Portuguese Government is studying the adaptation of national legislation on carbon capture, transport and storage (CO2), and is "looking at various solutions" taking into account environmental impacts, according to the minister for the environment.
Maria da Graça Carvalho took part on Friday in the presentation of a study by the cement industry on the subject, later telling journalists that a working group was set up last year that is "looking at various solutions".
The most important thing from the State's point of view, she explained, is how to adapt legislation "to address this issue of CO2 transport".
The minister added that this work is being done, "to study the possibilities" and to talk to the European Commission, with a view to adopting legislation, but also to securing funding.
The study presented today, by the Portuguese Cement Association (ATIC), proposes carbon storage in the Lusitanian Basin, off the western coast of Portugal, a region covering more than 22,000 square kilometres that would allow, in the long term, the storage of up to 300 million tonnes of CO2.
This would require the construction of a network of gas pipelines to connect CO2 emitters to the site, covering around 680 kilometres on land and a further 25 to 40 kilometres at sea.
According to the study, the investment would be around €2.2 billion (for transport and storage), with CO2 capture being the responsibility of industry, at a cost of €200 to €300 million per factory.
The study predicts that the first storage well could be created and CO2 injections tested in 2030, with the first cycle of this project completed in 2055/60.
At the presentation of the "PT Carbon Link" study, Portuguese Cement Association Vice-President Otmar Hubscher (SECIL) highlighted the industry's commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050 and called for government support.
Maria da Graça Carvalho acknowledged that decarbonisation is difficult in the cement sector, where "there is still much to be done", and spoke of the country's "great challenge" of achieving climate neutrality by 2045.
The minister warned that the proposed technology is not simple and reaffirmed the importance of involving communities in everything that is done.
"Local social acceptance of projects is something that concerns us; it must be the starting point for all projects," she said.
Noting that industrial sectors are difficult to decarbonise, the minister said that around 80% of CO2 emissions are "relatively easy to decarbonise, provided there is funding and political and public will", using renewable energy in electrification, simple transport and the energy consumption of buildings.
The other 20%, such as the glass, ceramics, or cement industries, are "among the most difficult," as well as some modes of transport, such as aviation and maritime transport.
In the words of Maria da Graça Carvalho, this process of transporting and storing CO2 is complex and must be "well thought out."
"I think there is a way forward for these programmes to be included in European funding," she said, reaffirming that the Government is looking at legislation but also at environmental impacts. "It is premature to say whether it will be here or there," she said, referring to the location of CO2 storage.
Stating that the ideal would be to use CO2 to produce fuels, chemicals or materials, because it avoids transport and storage, the minister agreed with the importance of having a short-term pilot project for CO2 capture, transport and storage.
The study was presented in Lisbon at the "PT Carbon Link Conference," which brought together industry and national and European experts. International experiences on the issue of CO2 capture were presented at the conference.
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