Northern Lights, a joint venture of Shell, Equinor, and TotalEnergies, has announced the delivery readiness of Northern Pioneer, the first in a fleet of four liquefied CO2 (LCO2) transport ships. Built by Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co. (DSIC) in China, the vessel is part of the world's largest CO2 shipping fleet.
The 130-meter-long ship features a 7,500 cbm cargo tank capacity and advanced technologies, including LNG propulsion, wind-assisted rotor sails by Norsepower, and air lubrication. These innovations are expected to reduce the ship's carbon footprint by approximately 34% compared to conventional vessels.
Northern Pioneer will transport liquefied CO2 from a capture facility in Norway to the Northern Lights receiving terminal in Øygarden, western Norway, which was completed in September. The ship, managed by Japanese shipping company K Line, successfully completed sea trials earlier this year.
Northern Lights is the first company to offer commercial CO2 transport and storage services, marking a major step in Europe's decarbonization efforts.
