As the world intensifies its fight against climate change, Norway is set to make a groundbreaking contribution with the launch of Northern Lights, the world’s first CO2 storage service. This project, part of Norway’s larger Longship initiative, marks a significant leap forward in addressing industrial carbon emissions, particularly for sectors that are hard to decarbonize. Northern Lights offers industries the opportunity to capture and permanently store CO2 in vast geological formations beneath the North Sea, showcasing a scalable, long-term solution to reducing global carbon emissions.
Northern Lights represents a pioneering move in the growing field of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), a technology that could become essential in the global effort to limit temperature rise in line with the Paris Agreement. By providing a permanent, secure storage solution for captured CO2, the project not only supports Norway’s own climate goals but also positions the country as a leader in international carbon management. The initiative is set to begin operations in 2024, and its implications stretch far beyond Norwegian borders, offering a model for industrial decarbonization across Europe and, potentially, the globe.
What is CO2 Storage?
CO2 storage, or Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), is a process that involves capturing carbon dioxide emissions from industries and securely storing them underground. This method prevents CO2 from entering the atmosphere and contributing to global warming. Northern Lights aims to be the first open-access CO2 storage facility, enabling industries from around the world to store their carbon emissions safely and effectively. Unlike traditional mitigation strategies that focus solely on reducing emissions, CCS addresses the root of the problem by trapping CO2 permanently.
How Northern Lights Will Operate
The Northern Lights project is a complex yet highly efficient operation designed to safely capture, transport, and store CO2 from industrial processes. It begins with the capture of CO2 emissions at industrial sites, where the gas is compressed into a liquefied form. This liquefied CO2 is then transported by specially designed ships to the Northern Lights terminal located in Øygarden, Norway.
At Øygarden, the CO2 is temporarily stored before being piped offshore to its final storage location. The pipeline extends deep into the North Sea, leading to a subsea reservoir located about 2,600 meters beneath the seabed. This storage site, selected after extensive geological surveys, lies within a secure geological formation known for its ability to trap CO2 for extended periods—potentially centuries—without leakage risks. The geological formation consists of porous rocks with natural sealing layers, ensuring that the CO2 remains permanently stored.
In its initial phase, Northern Lights is capable of handling and storing up to 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 annually. This makes it one of the most ambitious carbon capture and storage projects in the world. However, the project is designed with scalability in mind. In the future, Northern Lights aims to increase its storage capacity significantly as more industries adopt carbon capture technologies and as international interest in CCS grows. The infrastructure has been built with flexibility to expand its capacity to 5 million tonnes of CO2 annually, and future phases could enable even larger volumes.
The Transportation and Storage Process
- CO2 Capture: Industries capture CO2 emissions during their production processes, such as from energy generation, cement production, or steel manufacturing.
- Liquefaction and Shipping: The captured CO2 is cooled and compressed into a liquid, making it easier to transport in specialized CO2 carriers. These ships are equipped to safely transport large quantities of liquefied CO2 across the sea.
- Storage Terminal in Øygarden: Upon arrival at the Øygarden terminal, the liquefied CO2 is temporarily stored in tanks before being transferred into pipelines.
- Subsea Pipeline: From the terminal, CO2 is transported through a pipeline to the offshore subsea reservoir located beneath the North Sea, 2,600 meters below the seabed.
- Permanent Storage: The CO2 is injected into porous rock formations, where it will be trapped by layers of impermeable rock, ensuring long-term, secure storage.
Expansion and Scalability
The Northern Lights project is designed with scalability at its core, ensuring that it can grow to meet increasing global demand for CO2 storage. In its initial phase, the project will focus on capturing and storing CO2 emissions from industries in Norway and the broader European Union. This phase, set to store 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 annually, is just the starting point for what is expected to become a much larger operation.
As the project evolves, the goal is to significantly increase storage capacity. The infrastructure has been designed to expand up to 5 million tonnes of CO2 per year in subsequent phases. However, the ultimate potential is much larger. With further investment and technological advancements, Northern Lights could eventually scale to handle billions of tonnes of CO2, helping to decarbonize not just European industries but those worldwide. This vision aligns with global climate targets, particularly the goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, in accordance with the Paris Agreement.
One of the most critical aspects of Northern Lights’ expansion is its ability to serve international industries. By offering CO2 storage as a service to businesses and countries worldwide, Norway positions itself as a leader in global carbon management. International collaborations are already being explored, and future phases could see industries from Asia, the Americas, and beyond utilize Northern Lights to meet their carbon reduction commitments.
A Look to the Future
While the project is beginning with a 1.5 million-tonne annual capacity, Northern Lights’ scalability positions it as a key player in the global fight against climate change. If successful, this project could pave the way for similar carbon capture and storage (CCS) initiatives worldwide, revolutionizing how industries manage their carbon emissions. Northern Lights also offers international partnerships, allowing industries from across Europe and beyond to store their CO2 emissions in Norway, making it a truly global initiative.
By enabling industries to store CO2 safely and permanently, Northern Lights has the potential to become a critical component of global carbon management strategies, especially for sectors that are difficult to decarbonize through renewable energy alone. With further phases of expansion, the project could play a crucial role in helping the world meet its net-zero emissions goals by 2050. The Northern Lights project represents a transformational step in carbon capture and storage technology. By creating an infrastructure that can handle and store millions of tonnes of CO2, Norway is demonstrating leadership in the global effort to reduce industrial emissions and combat climate change. As the first of its kind, Northern Lights has the potential to influence policy, industrial strategies, and environmental actions globally, making it a significant milestone in the path to a sustainable future.
