Investing NOK 7.5 billion in expansion of the Northern Lights CCS-project

Equinor will remain the technical service provider for phase two and is happy to expand the project.

- This is a major step in the further development of a large-scale carbon capture, transportation and storage value chain. The support from the Norwegian Government and European Commission has been important contributing factors to successfully completing phase 1 and advancing phase 2. That we are now able to progress the Northern Lights' project second phase on a commercial basis, demonstrates the value of public-private partnerships to reduce risk and attract customers, says Anders Opedal, CEO of Equinor.

Anders Opedal is CEO of Equinor, who will remain the technical service provider (TSP) for phase two, responsible for development, construction and operation on behalf of the partnership. Photo: Ole Jørgen Bratland / Equinor.

Operation from 2028

Phase one operations are planned for this summer, with CO₂ from Heidelberg Materials’ cement factory in Brevik expected to arrive at the receiving terminal near Kollsnes on Norway’s west coast. Additionally, Northern Lights will store CO₂ from the Hafslund Celsio waste-to-energy plant in Oslo, as part of the Longship project.

The expansion through phase two builds on existing onshore and offshore infrastructure and includes additional onshore storage tanks, a new jetty, and additional injection wells.

This development phase is expected to be completed and ready for operation in the second half of 2028.

The first phase of the Northern Lights project aimed to demonstrate feasibility of a new business model, solutions, and operations through collaboration among authorities, customers and project partners. With strong support by the Norwegian government’s Longship initiative, phase one is fully booked.

Depend on customer commitment

Customer commitment is a decisive part of realizing a carbon capture, transportation and storage (CCS) value chain.

- I am very pleased that the partners in Northern Lights have progressed to the second phase of the Northern Lights project. As the recently published European Clean Industrial Deal makes clear, large-scale carbon capture, transport and storage will be crucial in the energy transition as it offers a solution for hard-to-abate industrial emitters to decarbonize their processes, says Irene Rummelhoff, executive vice president for Marketing, Midstream and Processing in Equinor.

Key facts on Northern Lights

• The Northern Lights partnership is equally owned by Equinor, TotalEnergies and Shell.
• The Northern Lights facility includes a receiving terminal, an injection pipeline and subsea installations. From the terminal, CO₂ is transported via pipeline to a storage in a reservoir 2,600 meters under the seabed in the North Sea.
• Longship is a comprehensive CCS project initiated by the Norwegian government, designed to demonstrate large-scale CO₂ capture, transport, and storage. Northern Lights, a key component of the project, focuses on the transport and storage aspects. Captured and liquefied CO₂ from customer’s sites is transported by ship to the onshore receiving terminal at Øygarden.
• The Norwegian government is providing substantial financial support, covering approximately 80% of the cost for the Phase 1 of the Northern Lights project.
• The phase two expansion of Northern Lights received €131 million from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) in June 2024. It is one of four CO₂ transport and storage projects funded by the CEF and is vital for developing a Europe-wide carbon value chain by the end of the decade.