First Europe-Built CO2 Carrier Gets Closer to Entering Service

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First Europe-Built CO2 Carrier Gets Closer to Entering Service

INEOS has said all ship sections of Europe’s first carbon dioxide (CO2) carrier have been successfully assembled at the Royal Niestern Sander shipyard in the Netherlands. “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 […]

INEOS has said all ship sections of Europe’s first carbon dioxide (CO2) carrier have been successfully assembled at the Royal Niestern Sander shipyard in the Netherlands.

“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”, Mads Gade, CEO of INEOS Energy Europe, said in a media release.

With the completion of the ship’s hull, the vessel enters the next phase of construction, which includes retrofitting, commissioning, testing, and sea trials, INEOS said.

“We are proud to reach this important milestone together with INEOS for the Project Greensand. The vessel is the first of its kind made in the EU and shows how the maritime industry in the North of the Netherlands can contribute to the energy transition. Construction is progressing steadily and according to plan”, Edwin de Vries, Director of Wagenborg Offshore, added.

The vessel is designed to transport liquefied CO2 from onshore capture sites to offshore storage in the Danish part of the North Sea. It will operate regular routes from Port Esbjerg to the Nini West platform, where CO2 will be injected into the Nini reservoir, approximately 1,800 meters (5,905 feet) beneath the seabed.

”The geology in the Danish part of the North Sea is very well suited for safe and permanent storage of CO2. By fulfilling the potential for storage of CO2 deep below the subsurface in the Danish North Sea we can make a significant contribution to achieving both Danish and European climate goals. The CO2 carrier will play a pivotal role for Greensand in establishing and developing the first operational CO2 storage facility in the EU aimed at mitigating climate change”, Gade said.

The landmark agreement between INEOS and Wagenborg for the delivery of the new-build CO2 carrier was signed in November 2024, the company said.

In December 2024, INEOS, Harbour Energy, and Nordsøfonden made the Final Investment Decision (FID) to proceed with full-scale CO2 storage in the Nini Field. Plans are in place to initiate safe permanent CO2 storage in the Nini Field by late 2025 or early 2026, making Greensand the EU’s first operational CO2 storage facility to combat climate change, INEOS said. This decision opens the door for investments of over DKK 1 billion ($151.4 million) across the Greensand CCS value chain to enhance storage capacity, according to the company.

Project Greensand initially aims to store 400,000 tonnes of CO2 annually, with potential growth to 8 million tonnes per year by 2030.

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