Shell has announced the Northern Pathfinder, one of the world’s first liquefied CO₂ carriers for large-scale CCS, to Singapore.
In a post on LinkedIn, Shell explained that The Northern Pathfinder is designed to safely transport up to 7,500 m³ liquefied CO₂ from capture sites in Europe to the Northern Lights JV CO₂’s receiving terminal, and is one of four ships that will form the largest dedicated CO₂ shipping fleet globally.
The ship demonstrates the feasibility of cross-border liquid CO₂ shipping, showing that CCS technology is no longer confined to specific plant locations and can be a solution for more inaccessible areas across the globe. Given the unique geography of Asia Pacific, the safe, reliable, and efficient shipping of CO₂ is critical to unlocking the region’s full CCS potential and offers land-scarce countries like Singapore the opportunity to explore CCS as a viable decarbonisation solution.
The Northern Pathfinder is fuelled by LNG and equipped with energy-efficient technologies like wind-assisted rotor sails and air lubrication to optimise fuel efficiency and reduce emissions – a testament to Shell’s progress in sustainable shipping.
Northern Lights is a joint venture between Equinor, TotalEnergies, and Shell. The company has already secured agreements with Yara International in the Netherlands and Ørsted in Denmark to store CO₂ 2,600 metres below the seabed in western Norway.