CO2 Terminal in Bremen Approved Under Antitrust Law

Source: E & M powernews

September 2, 2026

Ambrian Energy and Messer are planning a CO2 export terminal in Bremen. The European Commission has granted antitrust approval, and the facility is now set to begin operations in 2031.

The European Commission has approved the planned formation of the “CarbonBridge” joint venture by Ambrian Energy GmbH and Messer SE & Co. KGaA under antitrust law. This allows the partners to move forward with the development of a CO2 export terminal in the Port of Bremen. According to the companies, the facility is expected to be operational starting in 2031.

Initially, CarbonBridge is expected to be able to handle up to 2.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. The partners plan to increase capacity to approximately four million metric tons annually in the future. The terminal is designed to receive CO2 from industrial facilities and other emission sources, store it temporarily, and load it for onward transport to geological storage sites in the North Sea.

Ambrian Energy, based in Bremen, specializes in the handling of energy products, hazardous materials, and liquid goods, as well as the associated logistics. According to the company, it is contributing a plot of land measuring approximately three hectares in the Port of Bremen to the project. Messer, headquartered in Sulzbach im Taunus, is an internationally active supplier of industrial, medical, and specialty gases and has experience in the recovery and processing of CO2.

Closed-Loop CO₂ Logistics Chain

Carbonbridge is thus intended to provide a logistics chain for captured CO2. Among potential customers, the partners cite companies from the cement, glass, and steel industries, as well as operators of waste-to-energy plants. According to the project partners, emissions in these sectors are sometimes difficult to avoid through the use of renewable energy or efficiency measures. The capture and subsequent storage of CO2 can therefore represent another option for reducing emissions.

The terminal is designed to connect multiple transport routes. The site has an existing rail connection and a port berth. According to the project company, ships with a cargo capacity of up to 30,000 metric tons can be handled there. This is intended to facilitate the transport of CO2 from the German hinterland to the terminal and its subsequent shipment to storage sites in the North Sea.

“We are very pleased with the antitrust approval for Carbonbridge,” commented Ralph Spring, Senior Manager of Commercial CCUS at Messer. Logistics to the final storage site are one of the biggest challenges in many projects. Carbonbridge is intended to offer a flexible solution for this along the entire value chain, from the CO2 source to the sink.

Ambrian Energy also views the export infrastructure as a prerequisite for the development of carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects in Germany. “When it comes to decarbonization, industrial companies rely on the availability of a reliable export infrastructure for captured CO2,” says Managing Director Daniel Pätzold. The company aims to close this gap with Carbonbridge.

CO2 Disposal as a Service

Messer also plans to contribute its expertise in CO2 recovery and processing. The company points to its “ZeCarb” solution, which allows industrial emitters to purchase CO2 capture and further processing as a service. CarbonBridge will then handle the logistical steps leading up to the transfer to a storage facility.

A phased expansion is planned for the facility. The antitrust approval removes a prerequisite for the further implementation of the joint venture. The terminal is scheduled to begin operations in 2031. Until then, the partners must, among other things, develop the infrastructure at the Bremen site and establish the transport and storage logistics.

Author: Susanne Harmsen