At a key moment for the energy transition, INEOS Energy and Royal Wagenborg have announced the launch of the first European vessel dedicated to the transport of CO₂ at sea.. Named Carbon Destroyer 1, this carrier marks the start of a new logistics infrastructure for carbon capture and storage (CCS) on the European continent.
A strategic alliance for the future of carbon
The development of this vessel is part of the Greensand Greensand Projectan initiative led by INEOS in collaboration with Harbour Energy and the Danish state agency Nordsøfonden. The goal: to permanently store CO₂ in depleted fields in the North Sea. The Carbon Destroyer 1 serves an essential function: connecting onshore capture points with offshore storage sites, creating a “virtual pipeline” between the two ends of the value chain.
Optimized design for transporting liquefied CO₂.
Based on the EasyMax from Wagenborg, the vessel has been specially adapted to handle CO₂ under controlled pressure and temperature conditions. With a reinforced hull and advanced environmental systems, the Carbon Destroyer 1 has been built at the Royal Niestern Sander shipyard in the Netherlands to the highest standards of safety and maritime sustainability.
The port of Esbjerg, on the Danish coast, is preparing to become the nerve center of the European carbon flow. A terminal with six large-capacity storage tanks will be built there that will receive liquefied CO₂ from biogas plants and other and other industrial emitters. From that base, the Carbon Destroyer 1 will sail to the offshore platform Nini West, where the CO₂ will be injected more than 1,800 meters below the seabed.
Start-up and future scalability
The vessel is expected to be operational by the end of 2025, coinciding with the start of commercial operation of the Greensand Project. In its initial phase, the system is designed to handle 400,000 tons of CO₂ per year, with the capacity to scale up to 8 million tons per year, which will make it one of the leading carbon storage systems in Europe.
With this achievement, Europe is taking a concrete step towards decarbonization without giving up its industrial fabric. The Carbon Destroyer 1 represents an innovation in naval engineering and a key part of the continent’s climate infrastructure.
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Source and photo: Greensand Future
