As part of the first phase of its carbon dioxide transport and storage infrastructure development, Norway's Northern Lights JV DA has announced that it has placed an order with China's Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co. Ltd (DSIC) for two dedicated carbon dioxide carriers.
Each vessel will have a cargo size of 7,500 m3 and a length of 130 m, designed to transport liquid carbon dioxide (CO2) with purpose-built pressurized cargo tanks.
The primary fuel for the ships will be LNG, keeping emissions low. Other innovative technologies, such as a wind-assisted propulsion system and air lubrication will be installed to reduce the carbon intensity compared to conventional systems.
The ships are first-of-its-kind and will potentially set a new standard for CO2 shipping on coastal trading routes.
The award of these contracts is a significant milestone for Northern Lights. The use of ships will enable the development of a flexible and efficient European infrastructure network for the transport of CO2 captured by our industrial customers, keeping costs as low as possible to help decarbonization scale up. I am also very pleased that these ships will be built to keep their own emissions to a minimum through the use of innovative technology, said Børre Jacobsen, Managing Director of Northern Lights JV.
Located in Dalian, Liaoning Province, Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co. Ltd (DSIC) is one of the leading shipbuilding groups in China.
As a shipyard since 1898, DSIC has always been innovative and designed and delivered many record-breaking projects. Responding to the low emission strategy, DSIC worked together with Northern Lights for the development of the selected technical solutions over the last two years. The cooperation and efforts by both parties have been materialized in the award of these contracts today. Taking this opportunity, DSIC will devote ourselves to the delivery of these pioneering projects in a safe, high-quality, and timely manner and assist Northern Lights on the ambitions of low carbon emission, said Riqiang Hu, Marketing Director of DSIC.
Enabling European-scale transport and storage
The ships will be ready for delivery by mid-2024, registered in Norway (NOR), operated by Northern Lights under the Norwegian flag, and classed by DNV, the world’s leading classification society.
Once in operation, the ships will load captured and liquefied CO2 from European emitters and transport it to the Northern Lights receiving terminal in Øygarden in western Norway.
The CO2 volumes will be accurately measured and reported throughout the value chain. These will be independently verified, and the necessary documentation provided to regulators and customs officials.
Through its cross-border CO2 transport and storage infrastructure, Northern Lights is enabling the first European full-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) value chain, paving the way for cost reductions and scale-up of similar, future projects.
