Global CCS Breakthrough: Norway’s Longship becomes the first operational end-to-end CCS project, setting a new standard for industrial emissions reduction.
Major Public Investment: Backed by NOK 22 billion in state funding, the project is Europe’s most significant climate tech investment to date.
Scalable, Open Infrastructure: Northern Lights, part of Longship, offers open-access CO₂ storage and has already secured international commercial contracts.
Norway has launched Longship, the world’s first full-scale value chain for carbon capture and storage (CCS), marking a global milestone in industrial decarbonization. The project integrates carbon capture, ship-based transport, and permanent geological storage in a single, scalable system.
“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,” said Minister of Energy Terje Aasland.
A Model for Global Industry
Longship currently includes:
A CO₂ capture facility at Heidelberg Materials’ cement plant in Brevik (400,000 tonnes/year).
A planned facility at Hafslund Celsio’s waste-to-energy plant in Oslo (350,000 tonnes/year by 2029).
Transport of liquefied CO₂ by ship to Øygarden terminal, where it will be injected 2.6 km under the North Sea.
The Northern Lights component, operated by Equinor, Shell, and TotalEnergies, enables open-access CO₂ storage and has signed agreements with emitters in Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
“This is not just an important moment for Norway, it is a breakthrough for carbon capture and storage in Europe,” Aasland added.
Scaling for Impact
In Phase 1, Northern Lights will store 1.5 million tonnes of CO₂ annually. The Norwegian Ministry of Energy has approved Phase 2, which will expand storage capacity to over 5 million tonnes per year. The EU has designated it a “Project of Common Interest,” unlocking €131 million from the Connecting Europe Facility.
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The project’s infrastructure is being officially inaugurated this week with a two-day event in Oslo and Brevik, including:
The naming ceremony of the CO₂ transport ship Northern Pathfinder
A high-level conference at the Oslo Opera House
The opening of Heidelberg’s capture facility
Public-Private Climate Investment
With an estimated total cost of NOK 34 billion, including ten years of operation, Longship represents Norway’s largest-ever climate investment. The state will fund NOK 22 billion in grants, aiming to establish CCS as a core climate mitigation tool across Europe.
“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.
Longship offers a blueprint for scalable, cross-border carbon infrastructure—ushering in a new era of industrial decarbonization.
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