The Northern Lights project, one of the most ambitious carbon capture, storage, and transport (CCS) initiatives in Europe, takes a major step toward expansion, as Equinor, Shell, and TotalEnergies announced the final investment decision (FID) for the second phase of the project, a NOK 7.5 billion investment.
This phase will expand the project’s CO₂ injection capacity, a key step toward meeting industrial decarbonization goals and contributing to Europe’s energy transition.
On the expansion of Northern Lights
The decision to invest in the second phase was based on a commercial agreement with Stockholm Exergi to store up to 900,000 tons of biogenic CO₂ per year for 15 years. This breakthrough is vital to providing secure CO₂ storage solutions, a crucial aspect for industrial emitters unable to fully reduce their emissions.
Support from the Norwegian government and the European Commission has been essential to the success of Phase 1 and the start of Phase 2. The Norwegian government has funded a significant portion of the project under the Longship initiative , which seeks to make carbon capture and storage a viable, large-scale solution.
With the expansion of injection capacity, which will increase from 1.5 million tons per year to 5 million tons, Northern Lights will consolidate its position as an essential pillar in European industrial decarbonization. Phase 2 is expected to be operational by the second half of 2028, positioning Equinor as one of the world’s leading developers of CCS solutions.
Follow us on social media and don’t miss any of our posts!
YouTube LinkedIn Facebook Instagram X (Twitter) TikTok
Source and photo: Equinor
