Northern Lights Adds Fourth LNG Dual-Fuel CO2 Carrier to Fleet
Key Takeaways
- •Northern Purpose is the fourth and final LNG dual-fuel liquefied CO2 carrier to join the Northern Lights fleet, completing the Phase 1 vessel lineup.
- •The 7,500 m3 capacity vessel was built by China's Dalian Shipbuilding Offshore Company and is equipped with a wind propulsion system.
- •Northern Lights is a joint venture between Equinor, Shell, and TotalEnergies designed to enable cross-border CO2 transport and permanent geological storage beneath the North Sea.
- •The specialized fleet will serve industrial customers such as cement, steel, and fertilizer producers in northwest Europe that lack domestic storage geology.
- •The company is already planning Phase 2 capacity expansion, with larger CO2 carriers expected to enter service starting in 2028.
Northern Lights has added its fourth LNG dual-fuel liquefied CO2 carrier to its fleet, completing the vessel lineup planned for Phase 1 operations of its carbon capture and storage (CCS) project across Europe.
The vessel, named Northern Purpose, arrived in Norway after being delivered by China's Dalian Shipbuilding Offshore Company, the company announced in a press release on Tuesday.
Northern Purpose joins three sister ships — Northern Pioneer, Northern Pathfinder, and Northern Phoenix — to finalize the four-vessel fleet required for Phase 1 operations. The specialized fleet is central to establishing one of Europe's first commercial-scale cross-border CO2 transport and storage networks, a model being closely watched by policymakers and heavy industry as the EU works toward its 2050 climate neutrality target.
The 7,500 m3 capacity vessel is equipped with a wind propulsion system and will transport captured CO2 from industrial customers in northwest Europe to Norway for permanent offshore storage beneath the North Sea. Maritime transport is a critical link in the CCS value chain, enabling emitters in countries without domestic storage geology — such as cement, steel, and fertilizer producers — to access permanent geological storage.
"With the arrival of Northern Purpose, we have completed the vessel fleet required for Phase 1 operations," Tim Heijn, managing director of Northern Lights JV, said.
"This is an important milestone for Northern Lights to ensure reliable and flexible CO₂ transport and storage services to our customers across Europe."
The company indicated that it is already planning to expand its transport capacity under Phase 2, with larger CO2 carriers expected to enter service from 2028. Phase 2 development will be a key indicator of whether commercial CCS demand is scaling fast enough to meet industrial decarbonization timelines.
Northern Lights is a joint venture between Equinor, Shell, and TotalEnergies. The project is designed to enable cross-border CO2 transport and permanent geological storage as part of broader European decarbonization efforts.