The First CO₂ Loading Completed by Northern Pioneer

"Northern Pioneer", the first of four state-of-the-art liquid CO₂ carriers for the Project Northern Lights, has successfully completed its first CO₂ loading operation.

The CO₂ was captured from Heidelberg Materials'cement plant in Brevik, marking the operational start of Europe's first open and commercial carbon transport and storage value chain.

Northern Lights, a joint venture between Equinor, Shell, and TotalEnergies, aims to safely transport and store industrial CO₂ emissions beneath the North Sea seabed, approximately 2,600 meters underground. The project is a cornerstone of Longship, the Norwegian government’s flagship CCS initiative, and is supported by the EU’s Projects of Common Interest (PCI) list.

Phase 1 capacity: 1.5 million tonnes of CO₂ per year
Phase 2 expansion: Increased to 5 million tonnes/year, with support from the CEF Energy fund
New 15-year agreement: Up to 900,000 tonnes/year of biogenic CO₂ from Stockholm Exergi

The entire CO₂ shipping fleet is being built in China's @Dalian Shipbuilding Industry (DSIC). Two vessels—"Northern Pioneer" and "Northern Pathfinder"—are now in operation. Two more 7,500 m³ vessels are under construction, with plans underway to expand the fleet with 10+ next-generation ships of over 12,000 m³ capacity.

With carbon shipping emerging as a critical link in the CCS value chain, Northern Lights is not only proving the concept but scaling it.


Source： Xinde Marine News Pang Kai