Germany's antitrust authority has approved the construction of two major carbon capture pipelines to be jointly developed by Open Grid Europe GmbH (OGE), ONTRAS Gastransport GmbH, and the Belgian company Fluxys, ruling that there are no fundamental competition concerns against the project. 

"According to the current status, even without cooperation, it would not be expected that the participating companies would undertake competing CO2 pipeline projects in the coming years," the president of the cartel office, Andreas Mundt, said on Tuesday, August 5, 2025. 

"Therefore, from a competition perspective, there are no fundamental concerns against the two cooperation projects," he added. 

The approval of the major carbon pipeline project, which is expected to involve single-digit billion-euro range, marks a significant step forward in Germany’s efforts to transport and store carbon dioxide (CO2​) emissions.

The two pipeline projects will establish dedicated pipeline networks for transporting captured CO2 from industrial sites, such as waste incineration plants and cement factories, to permanent storage locations. 

One of the pipelines, a joint venture between OGE and eastern German operator Ontras, will transport CO2​ to existing and planned storage facilities in the North Sea and on the Danish mainland. However, the precise route for this project has not yet been detailed.

The second project is a collaboration between OGE and the Belgian gas company Fluxys. This system of pipelines will run from southern and western Germany to the Belgian border, where it will connect with a planned transit pipeline by Fluxys to the North Sea port of Zeebrugge. From there, the CO2​ is expected to be shipped to offshore storage sites.

According to OGE, repurposing existing gas pipelines for CO2​ transport is challenging due to the specific technical requirements. However, the company has stated that it plans to use the corridors of existing infrastructure whenever possible to minimise environmental impact. 

The company is also working on other pipeline projects, with a 28-kilometre section in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein being the most advanced, scheduled to begin operations in 2029.

The antitrust body’s approval of these multi-billion-euro investments eliminates regulatory concerns and gives OGE the green light to proceed with developing these essential climate infrastructure projects, a key component of Germany’s broader strategy to meet its climate goals.