Project Greensand’s first CO2 carrier completes hull construction

Project Greensand marine contractor Wagenborg Offshore Operations BV has completed hull construction of the 8-million tonne/year (tpy) carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) project’s first CO₂ carrier. The work was carried out by Royal Niestern Sander shipyard in the Netherlands.

INEOS Energy Europe awarded Wagenborg the contract for delivery of this vessel in November 2024. INEOS is the lead partner in Project Greensand, along with Harbour Energy PLC and Danish-state Nordsøfonden.

The vessel was specifically designed to transport liquefied CO₂ from onshore capture sites to offshore storage in the Danish part of the North Sea. It will sail regular routes from Port Esbjerg, Denmark, to the Nini West platform, where the CO₂ will be injected into Nini reservoir about 1,800 m beneath the seabed. 

”The geology in the Danish part of the North Sea is very well suited for safe and permanent storage of CO₂,” said Mads Gade, chief executive officer of INEOS Energy Europe. “By fulfilling the potential for storage of CO₂ deep below the subsurface…we can make a significant contribution to achieving both Danish and European climate goals. The CO₂ carrier will play a pivotal role for Greensand in establishing and developing the first operational CO₂ storage facility in the EU aimed at mitigating climate change”. 

With the completion of the ship’s hull, the vessel will begin retrofitting, followed by commissioning, testing, and sea trials.

In late 2024, INEOS and its partners took final investment decision to move ahead with full-scale CO₂ storage operations in Nini field (OGJ Online, Dec. 12, 2024; Sept. 30, 2022). Project Greensand plans to begin CO₂ injection by late 2025-early 2026. The project’s initial phase targets the permanent storage of 400,000 tpy of CO₂, with the potential to scale up to the full 8 million tpy by 2030.