Europe is preparing to launch its first offshore carbon dioxide (CO₂) carrier. The vessel, built entirely at the Royal Niestern Sander shipyard in the northern Netherlands, will be officially christened and launched on May 14.
This dedicated CO₂ carrier is part of Project Greensand, which aims to create the European Union’s first full-scale CCS value chain.
The vessel is specifically designed to transport liquefied CO₂ from onshore capture facilities to offshore storage locations in the Danish sector of the North Sea.
Photo: INEOS
According to INEOS Energy Europe’s CEO, Mads Gade, the completion of the vessel’s structure is a significant development in the EU’s efforts to move captured CO₂ safely and efficiently.
Gade added that the vessel is critical to the company’s goal of launching the EU’s first full CO₂ storage facility, and that Project Greensand is now a step closer to achieving that vision.
Wagenborg Offshore’s Director, Edwin de Vries, emphasised that this is the first vessel of its kind to be built in the European Union. He also confirmed that the construction is progressing according to schedule.
The vessel will operate regular transport routes from Port Esbjerg in Denmark to the Nini West offshore platform, where CO₂ will be injected around 1,800 meters beneath the seabed into the Nini reservoir.
These geological layers have held hydrocarbons for millions of years and have been certified for secure, long-term CO₂ storage.
Gade explained that the geology in the Danish part of the North Sea is well-suited for this type of storage. He added that using this capacity can significantly support both Denmark’s and the EU’s climate goals, and that the new vessel will be central to enabling this development.
The project is expected to begin injecting CO₂ by late 2025 or early 2026. Initially, Project Greensand aims to store 400,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year, and to increase that capacity to 8 million tonnes annually by 2030.
The dedicated carrier is a critical component in achieving these targets, enabling safe, consistent, and scalable transport of captured CO₂ from across Europe to the Danish site.