Northern Lights (pipeline)

The Northern Lights pipeline is a carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in Norway, developed as a partnership between Equinor, Shell, and TotalEnergies. Its primary objective is to provide an open-access transport and storage infrastructure for CO2 emissions captured from industrial sources across Europe. The project is a crucial component of Norway's Longship project, which aims to demonstrate the entire CCS value chain.

Concept and Operation:

Northern Lights involves capturing CO2 from industrial facilities, transporting it by ship to an onshore reception terminal on the west coast of Norway, and then injecting it via pipeline into a permanent offshore storage reservoir deep beneath the seabed in the North Sea. The storage reservoir is located more than 2,500 meters below the seabed.

Significance:

The pipeline represents a significant step towards establishing a commercially viable and scalable CCS infrastructure. It enables emitters who lack suitable geological storage sites to still participate in carbon capture initiatives. By offering a shared infrastructure, Northern Lights aims to lower the cost and risk associated with CCS, accelerating its deployment as a key technology for mitigating climate change.

Phases and Capacity:

The project is being developed in phases. The initial phase, Phase 1, has a storage capacity of 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 per year. Future phases are planned to expand the capacity to 5 million tonnes per year or more, depending on market demand.

Regulatory Framework:

Northern Lights operates under a robust regulatory framework designed to ensure the safe and permanent storage of CO2. This framework includes comprehensive monitoring and verification procedures to track the fate of the injected CO2 and prevent leakage.

Criticism:

The Northern Lights project, like other CCS projects, has faced criticism. Some argue that it is an expensive and inefficient solution compared to other climate mitigation strategies, such as renewable energy and energy efficiency. Others express concerns about the long-term safety and potential environmental impacts of CO2 storage.

Overall:

Despite the criticisms, Northern Lights is considered a vital initiative for promoting CCS technology and enabling large-scale decarbonization efforts in Europe. Its open-access infrastructure and focus on safe and permanent storage are expected to play a key role in achieving climate targets.