Northern Lights, a carbon capture and storage joint venture between TotalEnergies, Shell, and Equinor, has signed an agreement under which Japan's "K" Line will operate Northern Lights' first two 7,500 m3 liquefied CO2 ships.
The ships will be delivered in 2024, and they will be part of the world's first full-scale CCS value chain.
"K" Line's London-based subsidiary “K” LINE LNG Shipping (UK) Ltd. will manage two ships transporting liquefied CO2 from industrial emitters, including the Norcem Brevik and Hafslund Oslo Celsio carbon capture facilities, to the Northern Lights CO2 receiving terminal in Øygarden, Norway. The CO2 will then be transported by pipeline for permanent storage in a geological reservoir 2,600 meters under the seabed, offshore Norway.
"CO2 transport is a key component to connect industrial emitters in Europe to suitable and safe CO2 storage sites such as the one operated by Northern Lights in the North Sea. Northern Lights offers a ship-based solution that provides flexibility to reach emitters across Europe," Northern Lights said.
Shipping is a scalable CO2 transport solution that is well-suited for sailing distances in Europe. Developing a flexible shipping solution as part of the world’s first cross-border CO2 transport and storage network, Northern Lights contributes to the development of a market for CO2 storage, the JV said.
Northern Lights and “K” LINE will jointly establish operational procedures for safe transportation of liquefied CO2. The ships are classified by DNV and will be registered in Norway and operated under Norwegian (NOR) flag by mainly Norwegian shipboard personnel.
Operations at Northern Lights project are scheduled to start in 2024. The facilities are under construction and will enable Northern Lights to offer a safe and reliable shipping and storage service to industrial emitters from across Europe.