Northern Lights contributes to a European CO₂ storage market

A new report from Northern Lights JV (NL) highlights how knowledge sharing can accelerate the establishment of a European market for CO₂ management.

CCS as a climate solution for industry

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) identifies carbon capture and storage (CCS) as a necessary measure to reduce emissions from industrial sectors such as cement, waste, chemicals and metal production. At the same time, CCS is still in an early phase of commercial development.

The “Annual Benefits Realisation and Knowledge Sharing Report 2025” from NL shows how experience from Norway’s full-scale CO₂ management project is being shared with stakeholders worldwide. The objective is to enable faster and more cost-efficient development of new projects.

Demonstrating the full value chain

NL is the transport and storage component of Longship, and is the world’s first open-access infrastructure for CO₂ transport and storage. The system enables industrial emitters to send CO₂ for permanent storage beneath the seabed in the North Sea. Through presentations, delegation visits and workshops, experience from the planning, construction and operation of CO₂ transport and storage infrastructure is shared. This provides decision-makers and industry with insight into how CCS can be implemented in practice.

Strengthened international cooperation

The NL report shows strong international interest in Longship. Delegations from governments, industry and research communities across a wide range of countries visit the facility in Øygarden to learn about technology, logistics and regulatory frameworks. At the same time, NL actively participates in international conferences and industry forums where project experience is presented. This dialogue contributes to the development of common standards and regulatory frameworks for CCS – faster and at lower cost than today.

Reduce costs for new projects

A key effect of knowledge sharing is that experience from NL can reduce risk and costs in future CCS projects. By sharing practical experience from development and operations, new actors can avoid errors and inefficient solutions. This supports faster and more cost-effective deployment of the technology.

A storage solution for European industry

The NL report highlights how the infrastructure can help manage emissions from industry across several European countries. By transporting CO₂ for storage beneath the Norwegian continental shelf, European industrial companies gain access to a solution that may not exist in their home countries. This positions the Norwegian continental shelf as a key component of Europe’s future climate infrastructure.

– Knowledge sharing accelerates new CCS initiatives

Jale Mutlu, Senior Advisor Technology at Gassnova, states that the knowledge from NL has relevance far beyond Norway. – Knowledge sharing is essential to accelerating CCS. Experience from Northern Lights has significance far beyond Norway. If CCS is to deliver the emission reductions Europe requires, projects must be scaled faster and at lower cost than today. Insights from the first full-scale projects are therefore invaluable. The knowledge sharing from the pioneers in Northern Lights is a highly important contribution to this development, says Mutlu.

The NL report may be downloaded here.