VESSEL REVIEW | Northern Pioneer – Gas carrier to support Norwegian carbon capture and storage project

Northern Lights, a joint venture company formed by Equinor, Shell and TotalEnergies, has taken delivery of a new liquefied CO2 (LCO2) carrier built by Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company (DSIC) of China.

Northern Pioneer is the first ship in a series of LCO2 carriers ordered by Northern Lights in 2021. Sister ship Northern Pathfinder is itself nearing delivery while another two vessels from the same series will be built by Dalian Shipbuilding Offshore (DSOC).

Significant cargo capacity permitting fewer voyages

The newbuilds will be registered in Norway and will be managed and operated under bareboat charter by Japanese shipping company Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line). Their construction was completed in compliance with DNV class rules.

Northern Pioneer has a length of 130 metres (430 feet), a beam of 21 metres (69 feet), a design draught of eight metres (26 feet), and a total cargo capacity of 7,500 cubic metres (260,000 cubic feet). The two type C cargo tanks will transport LCO2 at –35 degrees Celsius and a maximum pressure of 19 bar(g).

Designed for low-emission operations

The ship’s engines will run primarily on LNG with diesel serving as a backup fuel. Future emissions-reducing features will include wind-assisted propulsion and air lubrication to ensure compliance with EEDI Phase III requirements, though the engines’ current configuration can already generate significantly reduced SOx and NOx emissions.

Northern Lights is the first company to offer commercial CO2 transport and storage as a service. The company's CO2 receiving facility in Øygarden on the west coast of Norway was completed in September 2024 and is now ready to receive CO2 from Norwegian and European industries.

Northern Pioneer will be used to transport LCO2 from a capture site somewhere in Norway to Northern Lights’ Øygarden receiving facility to be processed, injected into the seabed, and permanently stored 2,600 metres (8,500 feet) underground.