The Northern Pioneer, the first of four planned liquefied CO2 carriers that have been ordered as part of the Northern lights project, is ready for delivery.
Built by Dalin Shipbuilding Industry Co. (DSIC) in Dalin, China, the LCO2 transportation ship will form part of the largest global fleet that is dedicated to CO2 shipping. The vessel is managed by London-based LNG transporters, “K” Line LNG Shipping (UK), which is a subsidiary of Japan’s Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” Line).
Northern Pioneer will transport liquefied CO2 from a facility in Norway, where captured CO2 is stored, to a receiving terminal in Øygarden, western Norway, which was completed in September 2024. The Northern Lights project is a joint venture between Equinor, Shell and TotalEnergies and is the first company to offer commercial CO2 transportation and storage as a service.
At a ceremony held in Dalin, Lin Kiming, DSIC Vice President, commented: “We take great pride in designing and constructing the world’s first ship for commercial CO2 transport. 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 realize their CCS objectives.”
Yukikazu Myochin, President and CEO of “K” LINE, said: “We are delighted to have reached a significant milestone for the Northern Lights value chain making the first step in our journey. 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 decarbonization through safe and reliable liquefied CO2 transportation.”
Northern Pioneer is an advanced-design LCO2 carrier with a cargo tank capacity of 7,500 m³ that can carry CO2 at pressures up to 19 bar(g) at temperatures as low as -35°C. It is equipped with low-carbon technologies, such as LNG propulsion, a wind-assisted rotor sail and air lubrication systems.
Source: Northern Lights JV