Northern Lights CCS Fleet Set for Next Stage with Latest LCO2 Carrier Arrival
Northern Lights joint venture has taken delivery of its fourth dedicated liquefied CO2 (LCO2) carrier, completing the vessel fleet required for the first phase of its carbon capture and storage (CCS) transport and storage operations.
The Northern Purpose has arrived in Norway following delivery from Dalian Shipbuilding Offshore Company (DSOC), joining sister vessels Northern Pioneer, Northern Pathfinder and Northern Phoenix to provide CO2 transport capacity for customers across Europe.
Northern Lights said the vessel fleet forms the core of its transport solution, enabling liquefied CO2 captured at industrial sites across Europe to be shipped to its onshore receiving terminal in western Norway before being transported by pipeline for permanent storage in a reservoir 2,600 meters beneath the seabed.
“With the arrival of Northern Purpose, we have completed the vessel fleet required for Phase 1 operations. This is an important milestone for Northern Lights to ensure reliable and flexible CO₂ transport and storage services to our customers across Europe,” said Tim Heijn, Managing Director of Northern Lights JV.
Northern Lights joint venture, owned by Equinor, TotalEnergies and Shell, currently operates the world's largest dedicated fleet for commercial CO2 transport and plans to expand capacity under Phase 2, including the introduction of larger CO2 carriers from 2028.
The companies began injecting liquefied CO2 for permanent storage in August 2025 as part of Norway's Longship full-scale CCS project.
In addition to serving Heidelberg Materials' cement plant in Brevik and Hafslund Celsio's waste-to-energy facility in Oslo, the joint venture has signed commercial agreements with Yara in the Netherlands, Ørsted in Denmark, Stockholm Exergi in Sweden and Inherit in Norway.
