Can Digital Twins Make Carbon Capture Credible?

Virtual models bring new precision and trust to Europe’s carbon capture boom

29 Oct 2025

Europe’s carbon capture ambitions are getting a digital upgrade. Across the continent, a wave of innovation is reshaping how carbon is trapped, transported, and stored, with “digital twin” technology at the heart of it. These virtual replicas of industrial systems mirror the real world in real time, letting engineers spot problems early, fine-tune operations, and ensure that buried carbon stays safely underground.

In the Netherlands, the Porthos project is setting the pace. As Europe’s flagship carbon capture and storage (CCS) initiative, it uses digital twins to track underground injection sites minute by minute. Further north, Norway’s Northern Lights venture, led by Equinor, Shell, and TotalEnergies, has expanded its digital backbone to trace every step of CO₂’s journey beneath the North Sea. The result: better transparency and stronger proof that these projects are delivering on climate promises.

Experts say digital twins are quickly becoming essential tools for the CCS industry. They allow constant simulation and optimization, cutting downtime, improving efficiency, and helping the public trust that carbon storage is both safe and lasting.

Big tech is taking notice. In late 2023, Microsoft and Equinor signed an agreement to expand the use of Azure cloud services in CCS data networks. The goal is to create a connected, verifiable system that can handle enormous data flows while meeting the scrutiny of regulators and investors.

There are still obstacles. Integrating legacy industrial systems into sleek digital platforms is complex, and cybersecurity remains a serious concern. Smaller players may also struggle to keep up with the digital leap. Yet momentum is building fast. As pilot projects scale up, seamless data sharing and predictive analytics are becoming central to success.

Europe’s carbon capture story is no longer just about pipes and pressure. It’s about code, sensors, and algorithms, the invisible infrastructure behind climate credibility. With its mix of industrial know-how and digital ingenuity, Europe is emerging as the testing ground for the world’s next carbon chapter.