Northern Lights’ liquefied CO2 carrier arsenal grows as third vessel joins its fleet

China’s Dalian Shipbuilding Industry (DSIC), part of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), has delivered a new liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO2) carrier to Northern Lights, a joint venture (JV) encompassing three European oil majors: Shell, Equinor, and TotalEnergies.

While revealing the delivery of the Northern Phoenix liquefied CO2 carrier to Northern Lights, Japan’s maritime transport player, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line), which entered into bareboat charter contracts and time charter contracts for three of the four liquefied CO2 carriers ordered by Northern Lights, explains that this is the third liquefied CO2 carrier to be engaged by the JV, which is said to be world’s first to offer full-scale commercial transportation and storage of CO2.

The vessel will be managed by the firm’s subsidiary, K Line Energy Shipping, which is based in London, just like the previous two, Northern Pioneer and Northern Pathfinder newbuild LCO2 carriers that will be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The Northern Phoenix ship will transport liquified CO2 collected from clients outside Norway to the Northern Lights’ receiving terminal in Øygarden, western Norway. By transporting CO2 internationally, the vessel will contribute to the expansion of the Northern Lights and the establishment of the carbon capture and storage (CCS) business in Europe.

The Japanese firm underlined: “The K Line Group is taking different steps towards its own low-carbon and carbon-free initiatives, and that for society, in accordance with its long-term guidelines concerning the environment, K Line Environmental Vision 2050.

“K Line will leverage the knowledge gained from the operation of liquefied CO2 carriers, an area in which it is a forerunner, in future business development with the aim of realizing a sustainable society and increasing its corporate value.”

With a cargo tank capacity of 7,500 cubic meters (cbm), overall length of 130 meters, and breadth of 21 meters, the ship’s cargo transport conditions indicate a maximum pressure of 19 bar(g) and minimum temperature of -35 C.

While the primary fuel is LNG, the Northern Phoenix liquefied CO2 carrier will come with low-carbon technologies, including wind-assisted rotor sail and air lubrication. The fourth vessel is also coming along, as the keel laying ceremony was held in December 2024, a year after the shipbuilding order was placed.

Northern Lights is part of Norway’s Longship initiative, which aims to establish a full-scale carbon capture and storage value chain. The project entails the construction of the CO2 receiving terminal, subsea infrastructure such as pipelines, subsea installations and wells, as well as intermediate storage tanks and supporting onshore facilities.

PSW Power & Automation, part of Scana, was put in charge of designing and delivering a complete shore power system enabling ships at the CO2 terminal in Øygarden to switch off their generators and get renewable electricity from the grid.

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