Northern Lights JV DA has awarded major long-term charter contracts to expand its dedicated CO₂ shipping fleet, strengthening Europe’s carbon capture and storage (CCS) infrastructure.
A consortium comprising Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd. (“K” LINE) and MISC Berhad has secured a charter agreement for one newbuild liquid CO₂ (LCO₂) carrier, with a second vessel expected to be awarded in April 2026. In parallel, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd. (MOL) has been awarded two additional long-term charter agreements for new CO₂ transport vessels.
The first three vessels will each feature a cargo capacity of 12,000 cubic metres, significantly increasing Northern Lights’ cross-border CO₂ transport capability. The long-term time charter agreements will support the shipment of captured carbon dioxide from industrial emitters across Europe to permanent offshore storage in Norway.
The fleet expansion aligns with Northern Lights’ signed commercial agreements and its next-phase development plan to scale transport and storage capacity beyond 5 million tonnes of CO₂ per year. The contracts were awarded following a competitive global tender process.
The new vessels will be owned by K LINE, MISC Berhad and MOL, reinforcing collaboration between leading global shipping companies in building specialised CCS maritime infrastructure.
Construction contracts have been placed with Dalian Shipbuilding Offshore Co. Ltd. (DSOC) and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. (HHI). The vessels are scheduled for delivery between the second half of 2028 and the first half of 2029, in time for the next phase of Northern Lights’ operations.
Tim Heijn, Managing Director of Northern Lights, said the additional vessels will significantly expand transport capacity, enabling the company to meet commitments to industrial customers seeking decarbonisation solutions. He noted that the enlarged fleet will enhance operational flexibility, optimise logistics, and reflect the continued maturation of the CO₂ shipping market.
Since late 2024, Northern Lights has taken delivery of three 7,500m³ sister vessels — Northern Pioneer, Northern Pathfinder and Northern Phoenix — developed under Phase 1 of the Norwegian Government’s Longship CCS initiative. These vessels are managed by K LINE.
A fourth 7,500m³ vessel is currently under construction and scheduled for delivery in 2026. It will be owned and operated by Bernhard Schulte, part of the Schulte Group.
The earlier vessels were constructed by Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co. (DSIC) and DSOC.
