SUMMARY

A European consortium is considering a carbon transport and storage facility in the North Sea.

By Daniel Graeber

The Norwegian Energy Company said December 8 it received its full funding request for the development an offshore carbon transport and storage facility in the Danish waters of the North Sea.

The company, known commonly as Noreco, said it and its partners at the Biofrost carbon capture and storage (CCS) consortium received 75mn Danish krone (US$11.4mn) from a Danish public subsidy to help develop the offshore project.

Starting next year, Noreco and its partners will look at a CO2 transport and storage concept at the Herald field in the Danish waters of the North Sea, dubbed Project Bifrost. An initial storage capacity of 3mn metric tons/year is envisioned.

An additional scope of the project is the study of the potential to utilise existing pipeline infrastructure to develop a national CO2 transportation system, “a first step to connect to a future European cost and climate efficient CO2 transportation system,” Noreco added.

“Our assets in the Danish North Sea, especially the unique pipeline infrastructure, have the potential to be an important enabler for establishing Denmark as a CCS hub,” Noreco COO John Hulme said.

Bifrost is comprised of the French major TotalEnergies, with a 43.2% stake, Noreco, with a 35.8% stake, and Danish state oil and gas company Nordsofonden, which holds the remaining interest. The consortium produces 97% of the natural gas and 85% of the oil in the Danish North Sea.

Danish power producer Orsted owns the pipelines connected to the Herald field.