As part of the first phase of its CO₂ transport and storage infrastructure development, Norway’s Northern Lights has just signed a deal for two dedicated CO₂ carriers, each with a cargo size of 7,500 m³ and a length of 130m.

Northern Lights will be the first of its kind – an open and available infrastructure enabling transport of CO₂ from industrial capture sites to a terminal in Øygarden, Norway, for intermediate storage before being transported by pipeline for permanent storage in a reservoir 2600 meters under the seabed.

This will be the transport and storage component of the Longship project, promoted and supported by Norwegian State, which includes capture of CO₂ from industrial point sources in the Oslo region. When it starts operations in 2024, Northern Lights will be the first ever cross-border, open-source CO₂ transport and storage infrastructure network. It will offer companies across Europe the opportunity to store their CO₂ safely and permanently deep under the seabed in Norway.

Northern Lights is already in discussions with potential customers around Europe, representing 48 Mt of CO₂ per year, more than is currently stored worldwide. Phase one of the project will be completed mid 2024 with a capacity of up to 1.5 million tonnes of CO₂ per year.

Moving forward with the order for two vessels shows the commitment that the Norwegian government have towards this project, which is essential if Europe is to achieve its carbon neutrality targets.

The ships will be built by China’s Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co., Ltd. (DSIC) and will be ready for delivery by mid-2024. These vessels are designed to transport liquid CO₂ with purpose-built pressurised cargo tanks. The primary fuel for the ships will be LNG, keeping emissions low. Other innovative technologies, such as a wind assisted propulsion system and air lubrication will be installed to reduce carbon intensity by around 34 percent compared to conventional systems. The ships are the first of its kind and will potentially set a new standard for CO₂ shipping on coastal trading routes.

“The award of these contracts is a significant milestone for Northern Lights. The use of ships will enable the development of a flexible and efficient European infrastructure network for transport of CO₂ captured by our industrial customers, keeping costs as low as possible to help decarbonisation scale up. I am also very pleased that these ships will be built to keep their own emissions to a minimum through use of innovative technology”, says Børre Jacobsen, managing director of Northern Lights JV.

Once in operation, the ships will load captured and liquefied CO₂ from European emitters and transport it to the Northern Lights receiving terminal in Øygarden in western Norway. The CO₂ volumes will be accurately measured and reported throughout the value chain. These will be independently verified, and the necessary documentation provided to regulators and customs officials.

Aker Solutions will deliver equipment for the subsea infrastructure.

Through its cross-border CO₂ transport and storage infrastructure, Northern Lights is enabling the first European full-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) value chain, paving the way for cost reductions and scale-up of similar, future projects.

Following a historic vote in Norway’s parliament last year, the Norwegian government announced its funding decision for the Northern Lights CO₂ transport and storage project.

“Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is important to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. ‘Longship’ is the largest climate project ever in the Norwegian industry and will contribute substantially to the development of CCS as an efficient mitigation measure. Working together with the industry, the step-by-step approach has confirmed that the project is feasible. I want to thank the Northern Lights partners Equinor, Shell and TotalEnergies – and I am looking forward to our continued cooperation,” Tina Bru, minister of Petroleum and Energy, said at the time of the vote.

“Northern Lights is a true pioneering project and the first of its kind offering a solution to cut emissions from industrial sources in Norway and Europe. We are ready to start realising this project that will be an important part of the climate solution. I want to thank the Norwegian government and for the broad political support in making this a reality. I am certain that we together with our partners and suppliers will make this project a success,” said Anders Opedal, Equinor CEO.

“The Norwegian government’s initiative and support for what will be the world’s first open-source CO₂, transport and storage project shows real vision and commitment. Northern Lights is designed to provide a service to industrial emitters who can now take action on emissions that can’t be avoided. This is key to bringing real progress towards tackling climate change. Shell will play our part in making this a reality,” says Ben van Beurden, Shell CEO.