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CCS is becoming a critical technology in the fight against climate change and greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation. It prevents large volumes of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere by capturing emissions at their source, transporting the gas, and storing it deep underground or under the seabed in secure rock formations. The process is well-established, having been used safely for decades, with CCS in commercial operation for over 45 years.
The technology involves three main steps: capturing CO₂ from industrial facilities such as power plants, steel mills, and cement factories; compressing and transporting it via pipelines, ships, or trucks; and injecting it into geological formations more than a kilometer underground for permanent storage.
A New Era for European CCS
The carbon dioxide injected into the Aurora reservoir came from the Heidelberg Materials cement plant in Brevik, Norway. From there, it was transported by ship to the Northern Lights onshore receiving terminal in Øygarden, unloaded into storage tanks, and then sent through a 100 kilometer subsea pipeline to the offshore storage site. This process represents the first instance in Europe of CO₂ being captured, transported, and permanently stored under this model.
Equinor, which oversaw construction and now manages operations, emphasized the importance of collaboration between industries and governments in realizing the project. Anders Opedal, CEO of Equinor, noted that the project demonstrates the scalability and commercial viability of CCS for industrial decarbonization. Arnaud Le Foll, Senior Vice President of New Business - Carbon Neutrality at TotalEnergies, described the project as a milestone for European industry: “With the start of Northern Lights operations, we are entering a new phase for the CCS sector in Europe. This industry now moves from concept to reality, offering hard-to-abate sectors a credible and tangible pathway to reduce CO₂ emissions.”
Northern Lights is a key pillar of the Norwegian government-backed Longship project, which aims to commercialize CCS as a practical decarbonization tool, particularly in sectors heavily reliant on fossil fuels and where emissions reduction is challenging, such as cement, steel, and chemicals.
Phase 1 of Northern Lights provides storage capacity of 1.5 million tons of CO₂ per year, equivalent to 37.5 million tons over 25 years. This capacity is fully contracted by a group of pioneering customers from both Norway and continental Europe, including:
- Heidelberg Materials (Norway, cement production)
- Hafslund Celsio (Norway, energy and district heating)
- Yara (Netherlands, fertilizers and chemicals)
- Ørsted (Denmark, renewable energy and bioenergy with CCS potential)
- Stockholm Exergi (Sweden, district heating and bioenergy)
The importance of the project has been underlined by considerable support from the government and the European Union. Phase 1 was partly financed by the Norwegian state, while phase 2, officially approved in March 2025 (Final Investment Decision of the second phase), benefits from funding from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for energy. This expansion will increase storage capacity to over 5 million tons of CO₂ annually by 2028, supported by the construction of nine new onshore storage tanks, a new loading platform, and additional injection gasholds.
The project partners: Equinor, Shell and TotalEnergies, have committed NOK 7.5 billion (approximately US$744 million) to this second phase. Looking ahead, Equinor has set a target of expanding its total CO₂ storage capacity to between 30 and 50 million tons per year by 2035, leveraging Northern Lights and other parallel projects in Europe and the United States.
Broader Implications for Industry and Climate Policy
Northern Lights represents not only a technical achievement, but also a political and commercial breakthrough. By establishing an open-access, cross-border CO₂ transport and storage service, it enables emitters across Europe to decarbonize without having to build their own infrastructure, thereby creating a new value chain for carbon management.
This model provides industries that are otherwise difficult to decarbonize with a practical pathway to achieve climate targets, in line with the Paris Agreement and the European Union's Green Deal. The project also builds on Norway's extensive experience in offshore oil and gas operations, particularly geological storage on the Norwegian continental shelf, where more than 25 years of safe CO₂ storage have paved the way for Northern Lights.
The launch of Northern Lights marks a pivotal moment in Europe’s climate strategy. With alignment among industrial partners, governments, and European institutions, the project demonstrates that decarbonization of heavy industry is achievable when technological expertise and political will converge. As Northern Lights expands and similar initiatives emerge across Europe and beyond, CCS could become a central tool for reaching net-zero emissions. Norway has taken a decisive leadership role, positioning itself and its partners at the forefront of global carbon management solutions.