- The Northern Lights joint venture has received nine new CO₂ storage tanks at its Øygarden terminal in Norway, marking a significant milestone in the Phase 2 expansion.
- The development will increase the facility’s CO₂ storage capacity from 1.5 million to at least 5 million tonnes per year, supporting Europe’s growing decarbonisation efforts.
- Backed by CINEA and the Norwegian government’s Longship CCS initiative, Phase 2 is expected to be operational by the second half of 2028.
The Northern Lights joint venture (JV), part of Norway’s full-scale Longship carbon capture and storage (CCS) initiative, has taken delivery of nine new CO₂ storage tanks at its Øygarden terminal. This marks a critical step forward in Phase 2 of the project, which aims to significantly scale up the terminal’s capacity to meet the increasing cross-border demand for CO₂ storage.
The tanks were safely unloaded with the assistance of Equinor, which is serving as the project’s technical service provider (TSP). Once operational, these new tanks will help more than triple the site’s CO₂ handling capability, raising it from 1.5 million tonnes to at least 5 million tonnes per year, according to Offshore Energy.
Scaling CCS to Meet European Climate Goals
“Receiving the tanks is a clear milestone in scaling CCS infrastructure to meet Europe’s decarbonisation ambitions,” said Tim Heijn, Managing Director at Northern Lights. He highlighted the JV’s commitment to supporting industrial emitters by providing reliable and scalable CO₂ storage services across national borders.
Phase 2 of the project is being supported by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), further underscoring the strategic importance of CCS in the EU’s climate transition efforts.
Expanded Scope and Timeline for Phase 2
The expansion at Øygarden involves a multi-faceted upgrade to the existing onshore terminal, including the addition of a new jetty, increased pump capacity, and the construction of new storage tanks. Offshore, the number of CO₂ injection wells will double from two to four to accommodate the anticipated increase in throughput.
The Norwegian Ministry of Energy approved the Phase 2 development in June 2025. This builds on the initial plan approved in 2021, with operations from the first phase set to commence in Q3 2025. The second phase is scheduled for completion and start-up by the latter half of 2028.
Ongoing Contracts and Project Support
Equinor, in its role as TSP, has awarded key contracts for the Phase 2 works to Subsea7 and Aker Solutions, both of which are experienced players in offshore infrastructure development. Northern Lights will continue to focus on transporting and storing CO₂ captured from major Norwegian emitters such as Hafslund Celsio in Oslo and Heidelberg Materials in Brevik.
The Øygarden site was officially inaugurated on September 26, 2024, marking its readiness to begin accepting CO₂ for permanent storage, and solidifying Norway’s leadership in industrial-scale CCS.
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Source: Offshore Energy
