Europe's First Offshore CO2 Carrier Nears Completion, Marking Major Step for Carbon Capture and Storage
- 01-May-2025 6:00 PM
- Journalist: Emilia Jackson
A significant leap forward in Europe's energy transition and carbon capture and storage (CCS) infrastructure is on the horizon with the impending christening and launch of the first European-built offshore CO2 carrier on May 14. This dedicated vessel, constructed at Royal Niestern Sander shipyard in the northern Netherlands, is a cornerstone of Project Greensand, an ambitious initiative aiming to establish the EU's first full-scale CCS value chain.
The successful assembly of all ship sections marks a crucial milestone in the vessel's construction. This achievement was lauded by Mads Gade, CEO of INEOS Energy Europe, who stated, "The completion of all sections of the CO2 vessel is a giant step forward for transportation of CO2 in the EU. This ship is essential to our ambition of establishing the first full-scale CO2 storage facility in the EU. With the carrier now entering its next construction phase, Greensand are getting closer to completing Europe鈥檚 first full CCS value chain."
The landmark agreement for the construction of this unique CO2 carrier between INEOS and Wagenborg was signed in November 2024, underscoring the high-level commitment to the project, witnessed by HM King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and HM King Frederik of Denmark.
Specifically designed to transport liquefied CO2, the vessel will play a pivotal role in Project Greensand's operations. It will regularly sail from Port Esbjerg to the Nini West platform in the Danish part of the North Sea. From there, the captured CO2 will be injected into the Nini reservoir, located approximately 1,800 meters beneath the seabed, for safe and permanent storage. This geological formation has a proven track record of securely containing hydrocarbons for millions of years and has undergone rigorous assessment and certification for CO2 storage.
The vessel itself is engineered to meet the highest safety and environmental standards and is tailored to the specific demands of CO2 transport, incorporating advanced onboard cooling and pressure systems. Following the hull completion, the vessel will now undergo retrofitting, commissioning, testing, and crucial sea trials.
This achievement follows the Final Investment Decision (FID) made in December 2024 by INEOS and its partners, Harbour Energy and Nords酶fonden, to proceed with full-scale CO2 storage operations in the Nini Field. This decision has paved the way for significant investments exceeding 1 billion DKK across the Greensand CCS value chain to scale up storage capacity.
Project Greensand is on track to commence regular offshore CO2 injection by the end of 2025 or early 2026. The initial phase aims to permanently store 400,000 tonnes of CO2 annually, with ambitious plans to scale up to 8 million tonnes per year by 2030.
