China’s Dalian Shipbuilding Industry (DSIC) has launched two new liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO2) carriers for Northern Lights, a joint venture of Shell, Equinor, and TotalEnergies. These are the third and fourth vessels in the joint venture’s LCO2 fleet, designed to transport carbon dioxide for permanent storage under the North Sea.
New LCO2 Carriers
The two new vessels, built at the DSIC shipyard in China, will join their sister ships, the Northern Pioneer and Northern Pathfinder. All of the newbuild carriers will be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), a key part of their design for safe and environmentally sound cross-border CO2 transport. The third vessel, which had its steel-cutting ceremony last year, will also be equipped with a wind propulsion system to further reduce its carbon footprint.
The Northern Lights Project
Northern Lights is the world’s first company to offer commercial CO2 transport and storage as a service. Its receiving terminal in Øygarden, Norway, was completed in late September 2024 and is now ready to accept shipments from Norwegian and European industries. The project is a central part of Norway’s “Longship” initiative, which aims to establish a full-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) value chain. This includes the construction of the receiving terminal, subsea infrastructure, and the vessels required for transport.
Fleet Progress
The first vessel in the fleet, the Northern Pioneer, completed its sea trials in late 2024 and is being managed by the Japanese company K Line. The second vessel, the Northern Pathfinder, was christened in mid-June of this year and will be managed by K Line’s UK division. With the launch of the third and fourth carriers, Northern Lights is expanding its fleet to support the growing demand for carbon transport and storage services.
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Source: Offshore Energy
