The Northern Lights project has just added two new vessels to its liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO₂) transport fleet, strengthening its ability to connect emitting industries to subway storage in Norway.
New Northern Lights vessels with Japanese technology
The new carriers were launched from the facilities of Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co. (DSIC), part of China’s state-owned CSSC. They are the third and fourth vessels ordered by Northern Lights, the joint venture between Equinor, Shell and TotalEnergies.
These vessels will join their predecessors, the Northern Pioneer and the Northern Pathfinder, to make cross-border shipments of CO₂ up to injection into geological formations beneath the North Sea seabed.
All vessels are propelled by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and one of them includes wind-assisted propulsion technology developed by Norsepower. Japanese maritime operator K Line is in charge of the management of these units, including the UK version of K Line Energy Shipping.
Key infrastructure for decarbonization
The maritime transport system is an integral part of the carbon capture and storage (CCS) infrastructure promoted by the Norwegian government under the Longship program. The receiving terminal at Øygarden has been ready since 2024 to receive CO₂ from different parts of Europe.
The company said that, interestingly, during the launch, the water in the dam formed a figure similar to the number “6”, considered in China as a symbol of good fortune and smooth transitions. An omen that Northern Lights could consider favorable for this new operational phase.
Source and photo: Northern Lights
