Equinor Expands CCS Network with North Sea Licenses

Norway-based Equinor has added to its list of carbon-capture projects in Europe.

The company announced June 20 that the Norwegian Ministry of Energy awarded it two licenses to operate two CO₂ storage basins in the North Sea. Equinor will be able to store around 5 MMmt/y of CO₂ when the facilities are in operation on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.

The government of Denmark also awarded Equinor, in partnership with Ørsted and Nordsøfonden, a permit to begin exploration for an onshore storage facility. The reservoir will be 1,400 meters below ground with the potential to store up to 12 MMmt/y of CO₂.

The Denmark license is near Ørsted’s shipping and storage terminal Kalundborg CO₂ hub. At the site, the Danish energy company is constructing a CO₂ capture facility at a power plant that will be operational in two years.

“To mature more CO₂ storage capacity aligns with our ambition of having 30 [million tons] to 50 million tons of CO₂ transport and storage capacity per year by 2035,” said Grete Tveit, Equinor’s senior vice president for low carbon solutions.

The announcements came three days after Equinor announced another CCUS project in France. The company is developing a CO₂ transport line with a French midstream firm.