Carbon Capture Goes Big as Eni, GIP Join Forces

Partnership to advance industrial decarbonisation as carbon capture gains ground across Europe

11 Nov 2025

Energy major Eni and global investor Global Infrastructure Partners have formed one of Europe’s largest carbon capture and storage ventures, signalling growing private investment in industrial decarbonisation.

Announced in August 2025, the agreement, pending regulatory approval, will see GIP acquire a 49.99 per cent stake in Eni’s new subsidiary, Eni CCUS Holding. The unit will consolidate projects in the UK, the Netherlands and Italy, aiming to capture and store 25mn to 30mn tonnes of carbon dioxide annually by 2030. The deal was valued by analysts at about €1bn, though financial terms were not disclosed.

The initiative marks Eni’s shift from research-led pilots to full-scale commercial operations. “This partnership enables us to deliver advanced, large-scale decarbonisation solutions,” said an Eni spokesperson. GIP said it would provide the capital and infrastructure expertise to accelerate rollout. “Carbon capture is the next frontier of energy transition infrastructure,” a GIP executive said.

The collaboration reflects a broader European trend of aligning industrial and financial capabilities to meet net zero targets. Governments are introducing incentives and funding to promote carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), which is expected to play a significant role in cutting emissions from energy-intensive sectors.

Despite growing momentum, challenges remain. The cost of capturing and storing carbon is still high, and national regulations differ across the EU. Critics argue that CCUS could slow the shift away from fossil fuels, though for heavy industries such as steel, cement and chemicals, where electrification is limited, the technology remains one of the few practical options to reduce emissions.

For Eni, the venture places carbon capture at the centre of its low-carbon strategy, complementing its investments in biofuels and renewables. The company has said it expects CCUS to become a core pillar of its decarbonisation business by the end of the decade.

The Eni and GIP alliance underlines how carbon capture is evolving from a technical experiment into a commercial industry. By pairing Eni’s operational expertise with GIP’s financial resources, Europe is taking a further step towards building a viable carbon management infrastructure.