Northern Lights’ first LNG dual-fuel CO2 transport ship ready for delivery

Northern Lights,  the joint venture between Equinor, Shell and TotalEnergies, has announced that the Northern Pioneer, the first in a fleet of four LNG dual-fuel CO₂ transport ships, is ready for delivery at Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co. (DSIC) in Dalian, China.

Northern Lights is the first company to offer commercial CO₂ transport and storage as a service. The CO₂ receiving facility in Øygarden, Norway, was completed in September and is now ready to receive CO₂ from Norwegian and European industries.

Highlighting the ‘integral part’ that shipping will play in the Northern Lights value chain, the JV noted that the 7,500 cubic metre (cbm) capacity Northern Pioneer, whose primary fuel will be LNG, is the first of its kind, custom-designed to transport liquefied CO₂ from capture sites in Europe to the Northern Lights receiving terminal.

‘This is a great moment for Northern Lights and the CCS industry. Today we celebrate that the full CO₂ transport and storage chain of Northern Lights is ready,’ said Tim Heijn, Managing Director, Northern Lights. ‘Northern Pioneer and her sister ships will enable flexible and scalable CO₂ transport across Europe.’

The 130-metre-long Northern Pioneer’s sister ship, the Northern Pathfinder, is currently under construction at Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co. (DSIC), which, as previously reported, was awarded the shipbuilding contract in 2021. The third and fourth vessels are being built by Dalian Shipbuilding Offshore Co., Ltd (DSOC).

‘We take great pride in designing and constructing the world’s first ship for commercial CO₂ transport,’ said Lin Jiming, Vice President of DSIC. ‘The delivery of this ship will establish DSIC as a pioneer in CO₂ transportation solutions, and we remain committed to collaborating with Northern Lights to realise their CCS objectives.’

The Northern Pioneer will be registered in Norway and managed by Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” LINE).

‘We are delighted to have reached a significant milestone for the Northern Lights value chain making the first step in our journey,’ said Yukikazu Myochin, President and CEO of “K” LINE. ‘With our extensive knowledge and experience in the operation of various liquefied gas carriers, the “K” LINE Group is determined to work together to contribute to Europe’s decarbonisation through safe and reliable liquefied CO₂ transportation.’

Image: Northern Lights