Shell, Equinor, and TotalEnergies Unveil New CO2 Storage Facility in Norway

TotalEnergies, along with its partners Equinor and Shell, has announced the successful completion of the CO2 receiving and storage facilities for the Northern Lights Joint Venture in Norway. This facility includes a terminal for receiving CO2 shipments, a 100 km subsea pipeline to transport CO2 to an offshore storage site, and subsea injection systems for secure and permanent storage in a reservoir located 2,600 meters beneath the seabed. Northern Lights is now prepared to accept and permanently store CO2 from various European industries, with the first injection expected in 2025. Developing CO2 transportation and storage services is crucial for reducing emissions and provides a practical decarbonization solution for European industry. As the world's first commercial CO2 transportation and storage project, the initial phase—backed by the Norwegian government—has a capacity of 1.5 million tons of CO2 per year, which is fully booked by clients in Norway and continental Europe. Plans are underway to expand capacity to over 5 million tons per year in the next phase.

“Today’s ceremony represents a major milestone that brings us immense pride and optimism for the future. This is not only a proud moment for Northern Lights as a company, but also for Norway and the global progress of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), ” stated Terje Aasland, the Norwegian Minister of Energy.

“Today, we reached a significant milestone in our mission to establish CCS as a viable solution for achieving climate goals. The global community is looking to Norway for insights on CCS. Since construction began, we have welcomed over 10,000 visitors from more than 50 countries. We celebrated the completion of the facilities today with the residents of our host municipality Øygarden, the Norwegian Ministry of Energy, and key stakeholders, including policymakers and industry partners in the CCS sector. Their contributions are crucial for the success of Northern Lights and the CCS industry in Europe,” remarked Tim Heijn, Managing Director of Northern Lights JV.

“We are excited to mark the commissioning of the Northern Lights facilities today. Since we formed our partnership with the Norwegian State, Equinor, and Shell in 2017, it has been a significant journey. This important milestone indicates that our infrastructure is ready to store CO2, and we eagerly anticipate receiving the first volumes from difficult-to-abate emitters in 2025. This development will greatly contribute to the decarbonization of European industry,” stated Arnaud Le Foll, Senior Vice-President of New Business - Carbon Neutrality at TotalEnergies.

“This is an exciting day for Equinor, the Northern Lights Joint Venture, and our partners Shell and TotalEnergies. We are proud to announce that Northern Lights, as part of the Longship value chain, is now complete and ready to accept CO2. This marks a significant milestone in our efforts to establish a Carbon Capture and Storage value chain in Europe,” said Grete Tveit, Senior Vice President of Low Carbon Solutions at Equinor.

“Carbon capture and storage play a crucial role in helping society meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. In addition to efforts to prevent and reduce emissions, CCS will be an essential tool in assisting our customers on their decarbonization journeys, especially in sectors that are more challenging to decarbonize. I am pleased to announce that the Northern Lights facilities are now ready to accept CO2 from industrial sites across Europe; for Shell, this is a key component of our integrated offerings to our customers,” stated Anna Mascolo, Executive Vice President of Shell Low Carbon Solutions.