With the publication of the contract notices for the Aramis Project four partners: TotalEnergies EP, Shell, EBN and Gasunie, started the execution of a project for a CO₂ transport service, being the Aramis CCS Project ("Project"). This transport service project aims to contribute to the energy transition by providing CO₂ transport to storage capacity in order to help enable parties that seek emissions reduction by means of Carbon Capture and Storage (“CCS”) at scale. The Aramis Project, which aims to develop and operate a CO₂ transport service, was established as a public-private partnership between the state-owned corporations EBN and Gasunie, and the private companies TotalEnergies and Shell. The Project brought together each partner’s technical expertise, experience, and knowledge of CCS to enable the safe and efficient transport of CO₂ from industrial emitters to offshore storage sites. In April 2025 Gasunie, EBN, TotalEnergies and Shell outlined the next phase of the Project including a new governance structure under which EBN and Gasunie assumed full responsibility for the Aramis transport project, while Shell and TotalEnergies continue their involvement in the development of CO₂ storage capacity. Shell and TotalEnergies remain involved in the development of CO₂ storage capacity trough their storage activities and will continue playing a role in the wider Aramis transport and storage value chain. It is vital for the Project to maintain and ensure that the specific knowledge and CCS knowhow of Shell will remain available to the Project. As such Shell is willing to continue to provide its specific technical and operational support to the integrated Aramis value chain. To facilitate this support EBN and Gasunie have awarded Shell a contract for technical support of the Project by making use of the negotiated procedure without prior publication of a contract notice pursuant to article 2.32(1)(b)(2) of the Dutch Public Procurement Act (Aanbestedingswet).   The absence of competition for technical reasons is based on the fact that Shell possesses specific expertise relating to the execution of offshore projects and unique technical knowledge of the characteristics of gaseous CO₂ compositions, and including extensive experience globally in operating and developing CCS assets. This combination of knowledge and experience is not readily available in the market. As such, Shell possesses the required knowledge, skills, and capacity to provide the necessary technical support to the Project, taking into account the expertise and experience Shell has developed over recent years through its participation in the Project. Achieving an equivalent level of knowledge and experience with another party would entail a significant time and cost impact, which the Project implementation schedule does not allow for. Furthermore, the costs associated with bringing another party to a substantially comparable level of expertise and experience would not constitute an efficient use of public funds. Accordingly, no reasonable alternative or substitute exists. Given the scope of the contract, the absence of competition is not the result of an artificial narrowing of the procurement requirements or conditions.   In case you do not agree with the award of the contract to Shell, you must make your objections known within 30 calendar days from the date of announcement by serving a summons to EBN and Gasunie before the competent judge of the District Court South Holland, location Den Haag. If, after the expiry of these 30 calendar days, you lodge a judicial claim in connection with the award EBN and Gasunie will invoke the inadmissibility of your claim. The 30-calendar-day period therefore counts as an expiry period.