Northern Lights begins CO2 storage operations, marking a global first in merchant CCS, offering industries scalable, cross-border emission reduction solutions.
TotalEnergies, along with its partners Equinor and Shell, has announced a historic milestone in carbon capture and storage (CCS). The consortium successfully completed the first transportation of captured carbon dioxide by vessel from Heidelberg Materials’ cement plant in Brevik, Norway, to the Northern Lights storage facility located in Øygarden. After arrival, the CO2 was safely injected 2,600 meters beneath the seabed, approximately 100 kilometers off the western coast of Norway.
This achievement marks the operational launch of Northern Lights, recognized as the world’s first open-access merchant project dedicated to CO2 transportation and storage. The initiative is seen as a groundbreaking step in advancing large-scale decarbonization technologies that can support industries struggling with hard-to-abate emissions.
The first phase of the project, now operational, offers an annual storage capacity of 1.5 million tonnes of CO2. This capacity has already been fully allocated, with customers secured both from Norway and across continental Europe. Recognizing the growing demand for reliable storage solutions, the partnership took a Final Investment Decision (FID) in March 2025 to move forward with Phase Two of the development. Once completed in 2028, the expanded facilities will increase total storage capacity to more than 5 million tonnes of CO2 per year.
The project underlines the vital role of carbon transport and storage infrastructure in supporting Europe’s pathway to net-zero emissions. By providing an effective solution for emissions-intensive industries, Northern Lights enables a practical route toward compliance with climate goals. Industries such as cement, chemicals, energy, and district heating, which face significant challenges in achieving decarbonization through conventional renewable energy solutions alone, now have access to a large-scale CCS option.
Currently, five major industrial players have already signed agreements to use Northern Lights’ services. These include Hafslund Celsio and Heidelberg Materials from Norway, Yara in the Netherlands, Ørsted in Denmark, and Stockholm Exergi in Sweden. This diverse customer base illustrates the cross-border relevance of the project and highlights its role as a pan-European solution for industrial decarbonization.
Commenting on the milestone, Arnaud Le Foll, Senior Vice President for New Business – Carbon Neutrality at TotalEnergies, emphasized the strategic significance of the project: “With the start of operations of Northern Lights, we are entering a new phase for the CCS industry in Europe. This industry now moves to reality, offering hard-to-abate sectors a credible and tangible way to reduce CO2 emissions.”
As Europe accelerates its transition to a low-carbon future, Northern Lights stands as a pioneering model for how collaboration between governments, industries, and energy leaders can unlock practical, scalable, and internationally relevant solutions to climate change.
