The 2025 Franco-Swedish Research Days:
The SPLEEN PEPR at the heart of discussions on CCUS in Stockholm
On 30 September and 1 October, Stockholm hosted the Franco-Swedish Research Days 2025 on the theme of carbon capture, storage and utilisation (CCUS). These two days brought together researchers, industrialists and policy makers to discuss a crucial issue: accelerating decarbonisation through scientific and technological innovation.
The first day began with a visit to the Stockholm Exergi AB site, where the BECCS Stockholm project is being developed. This internationally renowned initiative aims to transform the Värtaverket biomass power plant into a large-scale facility capable of capturing and storing biogenic CO₂, with a target of 800,000 tonnes of CO₂ removed each year from 2028 onwards.
The conference was then opened by the French Ambassador to Sweden, followed by a series of strategic and scientific presentations. Among them, the programme’s co-directors, Antonio Pires da Cruz and Fabrice Lemoine, presented France’s National Low-Carbon Strategy and the PEPR SPLEEN programme for the decarbonisation of industry, highlighting the central role of collaborative research in achieving European climate objectives.
Discussions also addressed the French and Swedish energy contexts, the challenges of industrial decarbonisation and CO₂ market mechanisms.
The second day featured a series of informative scientific sessions illustrating the diversity of approaches to addressing CCUS challenges.
During the session on CO₂ capture, Alix Pascal, head of the IMOSSYCA project, presented the capture processes developed by IFPEN, providing valuable insight into current innovations and their potential for industrial deployment.
The presentation by Pascale Benezeth, head of the CARBIOCEM project, on mineral carbonation also attracted considerable interest. Her work opens up promising prospects for the sustainable conversion of CO₂ into stable materials.
Discussions then broadened to include geological storage, the social acceptability of storage technologies, and the economic and societal prospects of CCUS. Finally, a focus on the training and skills needed to support the growth of these technologies in Europe highlighted the importance of investing in the talent of tomorrow.
Beyond the scientific presentations, these two days confirmed the shared desire of France and Sweden to strengthen their cooperation in order to contribute to European excellence and sovereignty in CCUS.
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