DNV CCUS Verification 2025: How Trust Is Forged in the Carbon Capture Market

DNV’s CCUS Projects: From Methodology to Commercial-Scale Infrastructure

DNV has transitioned its role from a passive verifier of corporate emissions to an active architect of the commercial carbon capture, utilization, and storage market by creating and validating the core accounting methodologies that enable large-scale projects.

• Between 2021 and 2024, DNV’s work was foundational, focused on creating “first-of-a-kind” standards for emerging technologies, exemplified by the development of the world’s first full-chain certification methodology for Direct Air Capture and Storage (DAC+S) with Climeworks and Carbfix in 2022, and a similar pioneering methodology for Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) with Drax in 2024.
• Starting in 2025, DNV’s activities shifted decisively towards applying these standards to commercial infrastructure, demonstrating market readiness. This is evidenced by DNV securing multi-year quality assurance contracts for the UK’s first major CCS projects in August 2025 and issuing a Statement of Feasibility for Ørsted’s repurposed CO₂ pipeline in the Danish North Sea in May 2025.
• The company’s validation of specific technology applications, such as Carbon8’s CCU methodology in July 2025 and Arca’s carbon mineralization process in June 2025, confirms that its standardized approach is now being applied across a diverse range of CCUS pathways, from industrial point-source capture to permanent geological storage.
• The approval of onboard maritime CCS systems for companies like Headway and Hycamite in late 2025 further illustrates the expansion of verifiable carbon accounting into hard-to-abate mobile sectors, moving beyond stationary industrial facilities.

Investment Analysis: DNV’s Role in De-Risking Decarbonization Capital

DNV’s role as a technical advisor and verifier has been critical in unlocking hundreds of millions of dollars in financing for large-scale renewable energy and decarbonization projects, underscoring how third-party assurance builds investor confidence. DNV’s own strategic investments are focused on acquiring capabilities and expanding its operational footprint to meet the surging demand driven by regulations like the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).

Table: DNV’s Strategic Investments and Financing Advisory Roles (2025)

Partnership Strategy: Building the Trust Ecosystem for Carbon Accounting

DNV’s extensive partnerships from 2021 to 2025 reveal a methodical strategy to build a global, cross-industry ecosystem for trusted carbon accounting. Early collaborations focused on creating methodologies for single technologies, while recent partnerships emphasize integrating these standards into digital platforms, scaling infrastructure, and embedding verification into complex supply chains.

Table: DNV’s Carbon Accounting and Decarbonization Partnerships (2021-2025)

Geographic Analysis: DNV’s Global Expansion in Decarbonization Assurance

DNV’s decarbonization and CCUS assurance activities have expanded from a strong European base to a global footprint, with significant new infrastructure projects and regulatory advisory roles materializing in the Americas and Asia-Pacific in 2025.

• Between 2021 and 2024, DNV’s most prominent CCUS work was centered in Europe, including validating the BECCS methodology for Drax in the UK and co-developing the DAC+S methodology with Climeworks and Carbfix in Iceland, establishing its technical leadership in the region.
• The year 2025 marked a significant geographic diversification, with DNV playing a pivotal role in de-risking major investments in the Americas. Its technical advisory was instrumental in securing nearly $757 million in combined financing for the Zelestra Aurora and Atlas Copiapó large-scale solar and storage projects in Chile.
• In Asia-Pacific, DNV’s influence is growing through strategic engagements that shape regional policy and infrastructure. This includes its appointment as technical advisor to the ASEAN Taxonomy Board and its partnership with Petronas to develop CCS value chains across Southeast Asia.
• DNV continues to deepen its presence in its home market of Europe by providing critical assurance for first-of-their-kind infrastructure projects, such as the quality assurance contracts for the UK’s first major CCS hubs and the feasibility validation for Ørsted’s repurposed CO2 pipeline in the Danish North Sea.

Technology Maturity: DNV’s Role in Advancing CCUS from Concept to Commercial Scale

DNV’s validation and assurance services have been instrumental in advancing CCUS technologies from conceptual and pilot stages to commercially bankable, large-scale deployments by establishing the standardized, verifiable accounting required for market acceptance.

• In the 2021-2024 period, DNV’s work focused on validating the fundamental accounting principles for emerging technologies, signaling a transition from R&D to demonstration. The creation of first-of-a-kind methodologies for DAC+S with Climeworks (2022) and BECCS with Drax (2024) provided the necessary proof-of-concept for quantifying carbon removals from these novel processes.
• The year 2025 represents a clear shift toward commercial maturity, as DNV’s role evolved from methodology creation to the assurance of physical, large-scale infrastructure. Securing quality assurance contracts for the UK’s inaugural commercial CCS projects confirms that the technology has moved to the deployment phase.
• DNV’s launch of a new service specification in June 2025 to reduce risks in CCUS projects provides a standardized framework for verifying entire value chains. This, combined with its advanced KFX software for modeling CO2 release consequences, demonstrates a focus on the operational safety and bankability of commercial-scale assets.
• The approval of market-ready technologies like Headway’s onboard CCS system in November 2025 shows that verification is now happening at the product level for deployable systems, not just at the process or project level, indicating a maturing supply chain for CCUS components.

Table: DNV’s SWOT Analysis in the Carbon Accounting Market (2021-2025)

Forward-Looking Outlook: Standardizing the Currency of the Climate Economy

DNV’s next strategic priority is to solidify its position as the standard-setter for the transactional layer of the carbon economy, ensuring that a verified ton of CO2 is a trusted and fungible unit across all markets.

• DNV’s forecast that CCS capacity will quadruple by 2030 creates an urgent need for robust verification services to ensure the integrity of this rapidly growing market. Its focus is no longer just on whether the technology works, but on ensuring every ton is credibly accounted for.
• Watch for the expansion of digital verification platforms like Emissions Connect beyond the maritime sector. Automating data collection and verification is critical for scaling DNV’s services to meet the demands of regulations like CBAM across all industries.
• The initiative to establish standards for CO2 flow meter traceability is a crucial signal of DNV’s strategy. This moves beyond project-level verification to standardizing the “cash registers” of the CCUS value chain, which is essential for financial settlements and carbon trading.
• As DNV successfully creates the accounting blueprint for DAC+S and BECCS, expect it to proactively develop methodologies for other Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) pathways, such as enhanced rock weathering, to capture future market segments before they scale.

Frequently Asked Questions

What has been DNV’s primary shift in strategy regarding the carbon capture market between 2021 and 2025?
Between 2021 and 2024, DNV’s focus was foundational, creating ‘first-of-a-kind’ accounting methodologies for emerging technologies like DAC+S with Climeworks and BECCS with Drax. Starting in 2025, their strategy shifted decisively towards applying these standards to commercial-scale infrastructure, evidenced by quality assurance contracts for UK CCS projects and feasibility validation for Ørsted’s CO₂ pipeline.

How does DNV’s verification work help projects secure financing?
DNV acts as a technical advisor and independent verifier, providing due diligence that builds investor confidence and de-risks large decarbonization projects. This assurance was critical in helping Atlas Renewable Energy secure USD 475 million and Zelestra secure a $282 million green financing package for their respective large-scale energy projects in Chile in 2025.

Is DNV’s work focused only on stationary industrial plants?
No, while DNV works on stationary facilities, it has expanded its verification services to hard-to-abate mobile sectors. The approval of onboard maritime CCS systems for companies like Headway and Hycamite in late 2025 demonstrates the application of verifiable carbon accounting to the shipping industry.

Besides creating methodologies, what other services is DNV providing to ensure the safety and scalability of CCUS?
DNV is actively working to enhance the safety and operational reliability of CCUS infrastructure. This includes leading the ‘Skylark Joint Industry Project’ to improve CO2 pipeline safety and developing the KFX computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software with partners like Equinor to model CO2 releases and mitigate risks.

How is DNV using digital platforms to scale its verification services?
DNV leverages its Veracity digital platform and services like Emissions Connect to scale its impact. It partners with companies like OceanOpt, ZeroNorth, and Frontline to integrate emissions data, automate reporting, and streamline the process of providing quality-assured data for compliance with regulations like the EU ETS, making verification more efficient across entire supply chains.