European Chemical Industry News & Insights

Northern Lights Project Signs First Cross-Border CO2 Transport and Storage Agreement

At a glance
  • Starting in early 2025, 800,000 tons of CO2 per year will be captured, compressed, and liquefied in the Netherlands.
  • The CO2 will be transported to Norway and stored 2,600 meters under the seabed off Øygarden.
  • Northern Lights Phase 1 will handle 1.5 million tons of CO2 per year, with plans to expand to 5 million tons.
  • TotalEnergies aims to develop a CO2 storage capacity of over 10 million tons per year by 2030.

Agreement Overview

TotalEnergies has announced a commercial agreement between Northern Lights and Yara to transport and store CO2 captured from Yara Sluiskil, an ammonia and fertilizer plant in the Netherlands. This marks the world's first commercial agreement on cross-border CO2 transport and storage.

CO2 Capture and Storage

Starting in early 2025, 800,000 tons of CO2 per year will be captured, compressed, and liquefied in the Netherlands. The CO2 will then be transported to the Northern Lights site in Norway, where it will be permanently stored in geological layers 2,600 meters under the seabed off the coast of Øygarden.

Project Milestones

This agreement is a significant milestone in the decarbonization of heavy industry in Europe. It sets a new standard for European industrial companies looking to use Northern Lights solutions as part of their decarbonization strategies. The Phase 1 installations of Northern Lights are scheduled to come on stream in 2024, with the capacity to handle 1.5 million tons of CO2 per year. Additional capacity will be developed to accommodate rising demand, up to 5 million tons per year.

Future Plans

TotalEnergies aims to develop a CO2 storage capacity of more than 10 million tons per year by 2030, both for its own facilities and for its customers. This is in line with its ambition to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. The company is also involved in other significant industrial projects for carbon capture, transport, and storage, such as the Aramis project in the Netherlands.

Project timeline

Planned
2022
Execution
2022-09
Completed
2025 Q1
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