Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd (K Line) and Northern Lights JV DA recently signed Bare Boat Charter and Time Charter contracts for two new 7,500-cubic-meter liquefied CO2 ships, to be delivered in 2024 and contribute to the world’s first full-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) value chain.
The London-based subsidiary K Line LNG Shipping (UK) Ltd will manage two ships transporting liquefied CO2 from industrial emitters, including the Norcem Brevik and Hafslund Oslo Celsio carbon capture facilities, to the Northern Lights CO2 receiving terminal in Øygarden, Norway.
“K Line has deep experience in liquefied gas transport and a strong safety and environmental track record. We are pleased to partner with K Line in operationalizing this innovative value chain,” said Børre Jacobsen, Northern Lights managing director. CO2 transport is crucial in connecting industrial emitters in Europe to suitable and safe CO2 storage sites such as the one operated by Northern Lights in the North Sea. Northern Lights offers a ship-based solution that provides flexibility to reach emitters across Europe.
Carbon capture and storage under the seabed
Northern Lights is developing an open and flexible infrastructure to transport CO2 from industrial emitters by ship to a receiving terminal in western Norway for intermediate storage before being transported by pipeline for permanent storage in a geological reservoir 2,600 meters under the seabed. Operations are scheduled to start in 2024. The facilities are under construction and will enable Northern Lights to offer a safe and reliable shipping and storage service to industrial emitters across Europe. With increased interest from European industrial sectors, additional shipping and storage capacity will be developed as demand grows.
Shipping is a scalable CO2 transport solution well-suited for sailing distances in Europe. Developing a flexible shipping solution as part of the world’s first cross-border CO2 transport and storage network, Northern Lights contributes to the development of a market for CO2 storage.
“We are honored to participate in the Northern Lights project and contribute to the decarbonization of industry. We have been able to develop a new field by making use of our decades of know-how in liquefied gas transport,” said Yukikazu Myochin, K Line president and CEO.
Northern Lights and K Line will jointly establish operational procedures for safely transporting liquefied CO2. The ships are classified by DNV and will be registered in Norway and operated under the Norwegian flag by mainly Norwegian shipboard personnel. (Story and photo courtesy of K Line)