In Norway, carbon dioxide removal (CDR) standard Puro.earth issued the world’s first CO2 Removal Certificates (CORCs) for permanent carbon sequestration derived from biogas production. Developed by Inherit Carbon Solutions at the VEAS wastewater treatment plant in Slemmestad, the project represents a novel execution of Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS). The facility captures biogenic carbon dioxide released during municipal anaerobic digestion, creating a certified, repeatable pathway to convert industrial wastewater processing byproducts into permanent geological carbon removal credits.

During standard biogas production, biogenic carbon dioxide is naturally generated alongside methane and typically vented directly into the atmosphere, contributing to atmospheric carbon cycling. While regional biogas systems across Europe process massive volumes of organic waste, the underlying infrastructure historically lacked integrated carbon capture and permanent storage capabilities. Without specialized transport and geological injection frameworks, facility operators could not effectively isolate biogenic emissions or participate in engineered carbon removal markets.

To address these technical and logistics hurdles, Inherit Carbon Solutions coordinated a multi-company partnership integrating specialized capture, transport, and sequestration infrastructure. HoopCO2 operates an on-site capture and liquefaction unit at the VEAS plant, which treats wastewater for over 800,000 residents across Oslo, Bærum, and Asker. The liquefied biogenic CO2 is transported via road to Northern Lights JV’s onshore receiving terminal in Øygarden. Northern Lights then transfers the carbon through offshore pipelines for permanent geological injection into deep saline aquifers 2,600 meters beneath the North Sea seabed.

Following verification under the Puro.earth Geologically Stored Carbon methodology, the facility received over 700 CORCs covering its initial four operational months from February through May 2026. The project expects to capture and permanently sequester up to 7,000 metric tons of biogenic CO2 annually. By establishing a commercial reference model for Nordic and European biogas producers, the project demonstrates that linking regional anaerobic digestion facilities with established geological storage networks delivers scalable, verifiable, and highly durable engineered carbon removals.