The second Northern Lights JV’s LNG-powered liquefied CO2 carrier has been delivered in China.
Northern Lights, the JV consisting of Equinor, Shell, and TotalEnergies, and China’s Dalian Shipbuilding Industry (DSIC) announced the delivery of Northern Pathfinder in separate statements last week.
Northern Pathfinder will be registered in Norway and managed by Japan’s shipping giant K Line.
Earlier this year, DSIC launched this vessel and its sister ship Northern Pioneer.
Last month, the JV took delivery of Northern Pioneer.
They claim this is the world’s first LNG dual-fuel LCO2 carrier.
These vessels and two more ships will transport liquefied CO2 from industrial capture sites in Europe to the Northern Lights receiving terminal in Øygarden, Norway.
According to the JV, Northern Pathfinder, and Northern Pioneer will carry out testing and optimization of their efficiency-saving devices on the repositioning voyage from China to Norway.
Once in Norway, both ships will start mechanical commissioning activities at the receiving terminal in Øygarden and in Brevik, where the first operational customer Heidelberg Materials is located, the JV said.
Four ships
In February, K Line entered into a charter contract with the JV for a third LNG-powered liquefied CO2 vessel.
This follows the formerly signed contracts for managing the first two LCO2 ships in Northern Lights’ four-ship fleet.
In December 2023, Northern Lights also signed a charter deal with Bernhard Schulte for a new LNG-powered CO2 carrier. The ship will be the fourth in line to the sister ships.
The JV expects to take delivery of the third vessel in 2025, while the fourth will be delivered in 2026.
All of the vessels will have LNG dual-fuel propulsion and two type C LCO2 tanks, claimed to be the first such tanks in the world.
Besides LNG power, the 130 meters long vessels feature a wind-assisted propulsion system and air lubrication in order to reduce carbon intensity.