Wintershall Dea and Equinor partner up for large-scale CCS value chain in the North Sea

Estimated pipeline capacity of 20 to 40 million tonnes per year by 2037

Wintershall Dea and Equinor partner up for large-scale CCS value chain in the North Sea
Photo: Equinor

Wintershall Dea and Equinor have agreed to pursue the development of an extensive and safe Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) value chain connecting continental European CO2 emitters to offshore storage sites on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The ambition of the Norwegian-German CCS project ‘NOR-GE’ is to make a vital contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Europe.

Mario Mehren, CEO of Wintershall Dea, commented:

“Wintershall Dea and Equinor will work together to establish technical and commercial solutions for the development of cross-border CCS value chains in Europe and work with governments to shape a regulatory framework that can enable this. We will build on our close cooperation and open the next chapter of German-Norwegian partnership.” 

Through the partnership, both companies are responding to the European demand for the large-scale decarbonisation of carbon-intensive industries that need safe and large-scale underground CO2 storage to abate unavoidable emissions from their processes. The partnership intends to connect Germany, the largest CO2 emitter in Europe, and Norway, which has Europe’s largest CO2 storage potential.

Anders Opedal, CEO and President of Equinor, said:

“This is a strong energy partnership supporting European industrial clusters’ need to decarbonise their operations. Wintershall Dea and Equinor are committed to the energy transition and will utilise the competence and experience of both companies to work with governments and partners to help reach the net-zero target.” 

An approximately 900-kilometre-long open access pipeline is planned to connect the CO2 collection hub in Northern Germany and the storage sites in Norway and is aimed to be commissioned by 2032. It is expected to have a capacity of 20 to 40 million tonnes of CO2 per year – equivalent to around twenty per cent of all German industrial emissions per year1. The project will also consider an early deployment solution where CO2 is planned to be transported by ship from the CO2 export hub to the storage sites.

Wintershall Dea and Equinor also plan to jointly apply for offshore CO2 storage licences, aiming to store between 15 and 20 million tonnes per year on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.