• More than 700 CO2 Removal Certificates were issued for the VEAS project’s first four months of operation.
• The project captures biogenic CO2 from wastewater-based biogas production and stores it 2,600 metres below the seabed.
• Northern Lights could receive up to 7,000 tonnes of CO2 annually from the facility, creating a model for wider European deployment.

Puro.earth has certified the world’s first permanent carbon removals generated by capturing biogenic CO2 from biogas production, opening a new route for scaling engineered removals through existing wastewater infrastructure.

The project was developed by Inherit Carbon Solutions at the VEAS wastewater treatment plant in Slemmestad. It connects carbon capture and liquefaction equipment operated by HoopCO2 with transport and permanent geological storage provided by Northern Lights JV.

Puro.earth issued more than 700 CO2 Removal Certificates, or CORCs, for the project’s first four months of operation. The certificates cover verified removals completed between February and May 2026.

The issuance is Puro.earth’s first certification of a European bioenergy with carbon capture and storage project. It is also the first project globally to generate validated and verified permanent removals from CO2 released during biogas production.

Turning wastewater emissions into removals

VEAS is Norway’s largest wastewater treatment plant. It processes wastewater from more than 800,000 residents across Oslo, Bærum and Asker.

Organic material collected at the plant is used to produce biogas. Biogenic CO2 is released as part of that process and would normally enter the atmosphere.

Under the new carbon removal system, HoopCO2 captures and liquefies the CO2. Trucks then carry it to the Northern Lights receiving terminal in Øygarden, west of Bergen.

The CO2 is transferred into temporary onshore storage before travelling offshore through a pipeline. It is injected into geological formations about 2,600 metres below the seabed, where it is intended to remain for thousands of years.

Northern Lights has stored fossil-based CO2 offshore since August 2025. The venture provides carbon transport and storage as a commercial service. The VEAS project is its first use of biogenic CO2.

Northern Lights could receive up to 7,000 tonnes of CO2 each year from VEAS during its agreement with Inherit. The initial volume is modest compared with large industrial capture projects, but the model may offer faster deployment.

Certification creates a route to market

The project was validated and verified under the 2024 edition of Puro.earth’s Geologically Stored Carbon methodology. An independent validation and verification body audited the removals before certificates were issued in the public Puro Registry.

Continued monitoring, reporting and verification will support future issuances. This process will also allow Inherit to deliver certified removals to corporate buyers as operations expand.

For carbon removal investors and buyers, the certification addresses a central market challenge: proving that each tonne has been captured, stored and independently verified.

Jan-Willem Bode, President, Puro.earth, commented: “Inherit’s issuance shows what’s possible when biogas infrastructure and carbon storage infrastructure are combined through one succinct process. Biogenic CO2 that would otherwise have been released is instead captured and permanently stored. This is exactly the kind of innovative approach to BECCS that the Puro Standard and Registry was built for. Inherit is a true pioneer in this field, and we’re proud to certify the world’s first project of its kind. With the scale of biogas production across Norway, the Nordics and more widely across Europe, the potential for BECCS regionally is significant.”

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A replicable model for Europe

The project offers a potential template for wastewater utilities and biogas operators seeking additional revenue from carbon removal. It also allows facilities to use established waste streams without developing new biomass supply chains.

Smaller installations could complement larger BECCS plants, which often require significant capital, new infrastructure and longer development periods. They may also support a more distributed carbon removal market.

Kaja Voss, CEO, Inherit Carbon Solutions added: “Working with Puro.earth through this certification has given us a clear and credible pathway to bring these credits to market. This project shows just how much potential there is across the biogas supply chain for capturing and permanently storing biogenic CO2. The collaboration with HoopCO2 and Northern Lights has been strong, and we’re excited about what this pilot means for scaling biogenic CO2 removal from biogas facilities more broadly.”

For governments, the project shows how carbon removal policy can intersect with wastewater management, energy production and shared CO2 storage networks. For buyers, it adds a new category of durable credits backed by operating infrastructure.

Its broader significance will depend on cost, storage access and demand for high-quality removals. However, the VEAS project provides a working reference for how Europe’s biogas sector could become part of the permanent carbon removal economy.