The Longship project is near completion
Press release | Date: 07/10/2024 | Ministry of Energy
The Norwegian government continues its investment in the Longship project and proposes an allocation of 2.1 billion NOK in the state budget for 2025. In 2025, a large part of the full-scale project for CCS in Norway will be completed.
‘With Longship, Europe's first full-scale value chain for CO2 management will be in operation in 2025. It is inspiring to now see the results from Norway's long-term commitment to CO2 management. Heidelberg Materials' CO2 capture-project is close to finished, and two weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending the start of phase one of the Northern Lights project at thestorage terminal in Øygarden, said Minister of Energy, Terje Aasland.
Longship is the Norwegian full-scale project for the capture, transport and storage of CO2. It is a central part of the government's policy for CO2 management, and a part of Norway's contribution to developing the necessary climate technologies.
The total cost-allocation for Longship is approximately 30 billion NOK and the state's share of the costs is estimated at approximately 20 billion NOK. Norwegian authorities and Norwegian industry have never before invested such large sums together in a single climate project.
‘When Norway is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with the obligations in the Paris Agreement, CO2 management can play a key role. That is why it has been absolutely necessary for government aid to a new industry and to technology that will be important to readjust the economy towards a low-emission society by 2050‘, said Aasland.
In 2025, the Ministry of Energy will follow up Longship and the work to realize gains from the project. Heidelberg Materials is expected to start capturing CO2 from the cement factory in Brevik in 2025, while the transport and storage project for Northern Lights in Øygarden is ready to receive CO2 from the fall of 2024.
Hafslund Oslo Celsio has put its CO2 capture-project on hold in order to reduce costs. The company has submitted a new project basis which the Ministry will assess during the fall of 2024. The project basis must be quality assured before the Ministry decides whether the project should be continued. The government will revert to the Norwegian Parliament in an appropriate manner if the government believes there is a need for any changes to the grant agreement.
Longship includes CO2 capture at the Heidelberg Materials cement factory (formerly Norcem) in Brevik and at the waste incineration plant of Hafslund Celsio. Northern Lights, a collaboration between Equinor, TotalEnergies and Shell, is responsible for the transport and storage of CO2 in the North Sea.
CO2 capture from Heidelberg Materials' cement factory in Brevik is expected to start in 2025. The CO2 capture project for Hafslund Oslo Celsio has been put on hold to work on reducing costs. The company has submitted a new project basis that the Ministry of Energy will assess during the fall of 2024.
The storage infrastructure of Northern Lights has been developed with capacity that can be utilized by capture-projects in other countries. Northern Lights has entered into several commercial agreements with industrial players who want to store CO2 in the North Sea.
New plants in Europe and elsewhere is a prerequisite for CO2 management to become an effective and competitive climate measure.