Longship goes into operation – A Global Breakthrough for Carbon Capture and Storage

‘Longship demonstrates that it is possible to cut emissions from the industry and waste in a safe and effective way. This is a technological breakthrough and a milestone in Norway’s climate efforts. We have built a complete value chain for CO₂ management that will have significant impact far beyond our borders’, said Minister of Energy Terje Aasland.

Longship is Norway’s largest climate investment ever and Europe’s first complete CCS value chain. The project includes CO₂ capture at Heidelberg Materials’ cement plant in Brevik and the planned facility at Hafslund Celsio’s waste-to-energy plant in Oslo. The CO₂ is transported by ship and safely stored 2,600 meters beneath the seabed at Øygarden, near Bergen, managed by Northern Lights – a joint venture between Equinor, Shell, and TotalEnergies.

The first shipment of CO₂ was transported from the Brevik cement plant to the Northern Lights facility in Øygarden in early June. The CO₂ has now been transferred to storage tanks, and injection into the subsea reservoirs is scheduled to begin in August.

Groundbreaking Technology with International Significance

Longship is the first project in the world to integrate the entire CCS chain – from capture to transport and storage – with open access for multiple actors. Northern Lights has already signed commercial agreements with companies in the Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden.

In Phase 1, 1.5 million tonnes of CO₂ will be stored annually. The Ministry has today approved the development plan for Northern Lights Phase 2, which will increase the capacity to over 5 million tonnes per year. This makes Longship a key component of Europe’s climate strategy. The EU has recognized Northern Lights as a “Project of Common Interest,” enabling €131 million in funding from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).

The launch of Longship is marked with a two-day opening ceremony on June 17 and 18 in Oslo and Brevik. The event will gather ministers, business leaders, and international stakeholders for briefings, tours, and official ceremonies. Highlights include a naming ceremony for the CO₂ ship Northern Pathfinder, a high-level conference at the Oslo Opera House, and the opening of the capture facility at Heidelberg Materials in Brevik.

State Investment in the Industry of the Future

The government is supporting the Longship projects with approximately NOK 22 billion in grants for construction and operation. The total estimated cost of the project, including ten years of operation, is around NOK 34 billion. The investment is backed by the Norwegian Parliament and aims to develop CO₂ management as a cost-effective climate measure.

‘This is an investment in future jobs, technology, and industry. Longship will demonstrate that CO₂ management is safe, feasible, and necessary to meet climate goals in Norway and the EU’, said Aasland.