Northern Lights JV awarded the consortium formed by Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” LINE) and MISC Berhad a time charter contract for a new liquefied CO₂ vessel with a capacity of 12,000 m³.
The vessel will be built by Dalian Shipbuilding Offshore Co., Ltd. and will be part of the expansion of Northern Lights’ CO₂ transport fleet, an essential infrastructure for the development of European carbon capture, transport, and storage chains.
New Vessel to Transport Liquefied CO₂
The contract corresponds to the second vessel awarded to the consortium comprising “K” LINE and MISC. This decision completes the process announced by Northern Lights on January 29, 2026, when the company reported time charter agreements for four additional CO₂ vessels.
These units will be dedicated to the maritime transport of liquefied carbon dioxide from industrial emitters to geological storage facilities, strengthening the logistics necessary for carbon capture and storage projects.
“K” LINE previously reported that the first vessel awarded under this scheme will also have a capacity of 12,000 m³ and will be jointly owned with MISC.
Northern Lights Expands Its CCS Fleet
Northern Lights announced in January the expansion of its fleet with four additional CO₂ vessels. At that time, the company confirmed an agreement with “K” LINE and MISC for one vessel, with a second planned for the same consortium, in addition to two contracts awarded to Mitsui O.S.K. Lines.
With this award, Northern Lights advances in consolidating a specialized fleet capable of meeting the anticipated growth in demand for maritime CO₂ transport in Europe.
Vessel transport allows connecting industrial facilities that do not have direct access to CO₂ pipelines, expanding the geographical scope of CCS solutions.
Dalian to Build New Unit
The new vessel will be built by Dalian Shipbuilding Offshore Co., Ltd., a shipyard also involved in the development of other specialized vessels for liquefied CO₂ transport.
Vessels of this type require systems designed to maintain CO₂ in a liquid state under controlled pressure and temperature conditions. This capability is essential for safely transporting commercial volumes of carbon dioxide to permanent storage sites.
The incorporation of these units reinforces the role of maritime transport as a strategic link between industrial emitters, receiving terminals, and geological reservoirs.
Europe Strengthens Carbon Chains
Northern Lights is part of Europe’s most advanced projects for CO₂ transport and storage. Its model seeks to offer cross-border storage capacity for industries that need to reduce hard-to-abate emissions.
The fleet expansion indicates that the liquefied CO₂ transport market is beginning to scale from initial projects towards a broader, commercial infrastructure.
With the new contract, “K” LINE and MISC strengthen their participation in an emerging maritime segment linked to industrial decarbonization, while Northern Lights secures additional capacity to handle future volumes of captured CO₂.
Source and photo: https://norlights.com/
