Northern Lights has Deals With Shipping Lines to Double CO2 Transport Fleet
The Norwegian CO2 storage initiative, which became the first commercial operation for carbon capture and storage, announced a new deal that will double the company’s fleet by 2029. This comes just months after the company completed its first injection of liquid CO2 for permanent storage.
Northern Lights, which is a joint venture between Equinor, TotalEnergies, and Shell, reports it has struck a new charter deal with major shipping companies, including existing partner Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (“K” Line), while adding MISC Berhad and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL). Under the new agreements, “K” Line and MSC concluded one charter, and a second will be awarded in April 2026. Two additional charter agreements have been awarded to MOL.
Under the terms of the agreements, the three shipping companies will own the new vessels, which will operate under charter to Northern Lights. Northern Light also said it is increasing the size of each vessel, with the first three vessels awarded to each have a capacity of 12,000 cbm of liquified CO2.
The new ships will be built by Dalian Shipbuilding Offshore in China and by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries. Deliveries will range between the second half of 2028 and the first half of 2029.
The company has taken delivery of three 7,500 cbm vessels, Northern Pioneer, Northern Pathfinder, and Northern Phoenix. K Line operates these vessels under an agreement with Northern Lights. A further sister is currently under construction in China for delivery this year. It will be owned and operated by Berhard Schulte, a part of the Schulte Group.
Commenting on the new ship orders, Tim Heijn, Managing Director of Northern Lights, said they are building the first dedicated fleet for CO2 shipping. Doubling the number of ships and expanding capacity, he said, will enable Northern Lights to optimize its operations and increase flexibility.
The project received approval to launch the operation in May 2025 and reported it completed its first injection into the permanent storage reservoir 2,600 meters under the seabed in August. Already, the company had also announced plans for Phase 2, which will increase transport and storage capacity from 1.5 million tonnes to a minimum of 5 million tonnes of CO? per year.
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As a commercial supplier, Northern Lights contracts with large emitters for the capture of their CO2. It is stored, liquefied, and transported aboard the company’s ships to the receiving facility in Norway. From there it is injected into the offshore permanent storage reservoir.
The company is contracting with major industrial companies, including in Norway, Heidelberg Materials’ cement factory in Brevik, and Hafslund Celsio’s waste-to-energy plant in Oslo. In addition, the Northern Lights JV has signed commercial agreements with Yara in the Netherlands, Ørsted in Denmark, and Stockholm Exergi in Sweden.
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