Northern Lights JV orders third CO2 carrier

Readers will recall the first two dedicated LCO2 carrier newbuilding contracts were handed out in October 2021 and are currently under construction at Dalian Shipyard.

Northern Lights is a joint venture between Equinor, Shell and TotalEnergies, and a major part of the Longship project – a full CCS value chain initiative supported by the Norwegian state.

Partners have drilled North Sea wells some 70 km west of Bergen, Norway, within the EL001 licence the Norwegian government awarded to the consortium in January 2019. Drilling confirmed the reservoir in the Johansen formation, located at a depth of 2,600 m, was suitable for safe and permanent storage of up to 5M tonnes of CO2. 

In 2021, Equinor awarded US$57M in contracts for engineering, procurement, construction and installation work on the 100-km pipeline and installation of a 36-km umbilical to connect the injection well to the Oseberg A platform, from which the subsea injection facilities will be operated.

The three 130-m LCO2 carriers are the largest dedicated CO2 ships, custom-built with pressurised cargo tanks to transport liquefied carbon dioxide. To improve their carbon profile, the ships will run on LNG, aided by a wind-assisted propulsion system from manufacturer Norsepower. 

The third vessel will share characteristics with its sister ships, with two cylindrical cargo tanks with a cargo capacity of 7,500 m³.

Once operational, the vessels will load captured and liquefied CO2 from industrial emitters, transporting it to receiving facilities in Øygarden, Norway. From here, the CO2 will be intermediately stored in onshore tanks before being transported through a pipeline to an offshore reservoir for permanent storage under the seabed.

Northern Lights managing director Børre Jacobsen said, “We are very pleased to announce we are increasing our shipping capacity. Our shipping solution is scalable and provides the necessary flexibility to service industrial emitters across Europe. The award of a shipbuilding contract for a third ship is a response to an increasing demand for cross-border CO2 transport and storage.”  

DSCO chairman Yingzhi Sun said, “Products in the clean and environmental protection industry have now become our major strategy. As one of the most competitive offshore yards and the first yard to construct the dedicated CO2 ships, we have the confidence and capability to deliver high-quality products to Northern Lights, and build long-term strategic relationships. DSOC will create more value to our clients with quality service.”