Equinor, Shell, and TotalEnergies have reached a final investment decision (FID) to proceed with phase two of the Northern Lights Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project, marking a significant step towards large-scale decarbonization. The decision follows a commercial agreement with Stockholm Exergi to transport and store up to 900,000 tonnes of biogenic CO₂ annually for 15 years.
“This is a major step in the further development of a large-scale carbon capture, transportation, and storage value chain,” said Anders Opedal, CEO of Equinor. He emphasized the importance of public-private partnerships in reducing risks and attracting customers.
The investment for phase two totals 7.5 billion NOK, including €131 million (approximately 1.5 billion NOK) from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), approved by the European Commission last year. The expansion will increase the project’s CO₂ injection capacity from 1.5 million tonnes per year to at least 5 million tonnes. This phase includes additional onshore storage tanks, a new jetty, and extra injection wells, expected to be operational by the second half of 2028.
Phase one operations are set to begin this summer, receiving CO₂ from Heidelberg Materials’ cement factory in Brevik and Hafslund Celsio’s waste-to-energy plant in Oslo as part of Norway’s Longship project.
Irene Rummelhoff, Equinor’s Executive Vice President for Marketing, Midstream, and Processing, stated, “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.”
