This vessel is key to the Greensand initiative, Europe’s first comprehensive carbon capture and storage (CCS) value chain.
Ineos has confirmed that the inaugural offshore CO₂ carrier constructed in Europe will be christened and launched on 14 May 2025.
This vessel, currently under construction at the Royal Niestern Sander shipyard in the Netherlands, is part of the Greensand initiative, which aims to create the European Union’s first comprehensive carbon capture and storage (CCS) value chain.
The contract for this dedicated CO₂ carrier was signed in November 2024, with the event attended by HM King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and HM King Frederik of Denmark.
The vessel is designed to transport liquefied CO₂ from onshore capture facilities to offshore storage sites in the Danish sector of the North Sea. It will operate on routes from Port Esbjerg to the Nini West platform.
The CO₂ will be injected into the Nini reservoir, located approximately 1,800m below the seabed, which has been certified for safe and permanent storage.
Engineered to meet rigorous safety and environmental standards, the vessel includes specific technical features for CO₂ transport, such as onboard cooling and pressure systems.
The construction of the vessel has reached a key milestone with the assembly of all ship sections.
Following the completion of the hull, the next phases will include retrofitting, commissioning, testing, and sea trials.
Inoes Energy Europe CEO Mads Gade said: “The geology in the Danish part of the North Sea is very well suited for safe and permanent storage of CO2.
“By fulfilling the potential for storage of CO2 deep below the subsurface in the Danish North Sea we can make a significant contribution to achieving both Danish and European climate goals.”
The companies managing Greensand and holding the storage licence (IRIS) are Ineos Energy Denmark, Harbour Energy, and Nordsøfonden, the Danish state’s subsurface company.
In December 2024, Ineos, along with Harbour Energy and Nordsøfonden, made the final investment decision to advance CCS operations in the Nini Field, with investments expected to exceed DKr1bn ($151m).
The Greensand project aims to initiate regular offshore CO₂ injection by late 2025 or early 2026, targeting the permanent storage of 400,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually, with potential growth to eight million tonnes by 2030.
The project, supported by the Innovation Fund, has already achieved a significant milestone by transporting CO₂ across international borders for permanent offshore storage.
In 2021, China’s Jiangnan Shipyard Group delivered the very large ethane carrier (VLEC), Pacific Ineos Belstaff, to Ineos Group in Shanghai. The vessel can transport 99,000m³ of liquefied gas across the Pacific Ocean, according to CGTN.
