The Danish seaport and Fidelis New Energy's Norne Carbon Storage Hub have signed a 30-year exclusive agreement that will see the setup of reception infrastructure for on- and nearshore storage of carbon dioxide.

A new 500-metre-long berth will be erected in the Port of Aalborg, corresponding to an area of 60,000 square metres of wharf space.

Norne has already completed the front-end engineering and design studies for both the CO₂ reception facility, with an initial yearly capacity of 15 million tonnes, and a connecting pipeline to nearby CO₂ storage.

In 2023, the EU Norne granted Norne the Project of Common Interest (PCI) status. Recently, the project received a grant from the energy envelope of the EU Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). These funds will co-fund the development and construction of the new quay.

"Norne's PCI status ensures prioritised permitting, as the project is recognised as an urgent project of the highest national significance and it is considered a project of overriding public interest by the EU when carrying out the relevant environmental assessments. The PCI status also opens the door for additional CEF Energy grants, which Norne is actively pursuing to support further development across the CO₂ value chain," the project partners underlined in a press brief.

Kristian Thulesen Dahl, CEO of the Port of Aalborg, said, "We are very excited to continue the work we have done with Fidelis and Norne since 2021 to make the Port of Aalborg a key CO₂ hub enabling economical and safe storage of CO₂ onshore and nearshore. In addition, we are excited to be able to provide decarbonisation services to attract new industries to the Port of Aalborg. We therefore see the collaboration with Norne as an important business development differentiator as we continue to expand the port's role in helping to decarbonise Denmark and the EU."

Lars Bo Christiansen, President of Norne, added, "Since 2021, we have worked closely with the Port of Aalborg, the European Union, the Danish Government, and other key stakeholders. We look forward to building on this long-term partnership - not only to expand beyond the current capacity of 15 million tonnes per year at Norne's site, but also to attract new industrial projects to the port that require decarbonisation solutions."

Norne aims to begin operations as of mid-2027, with the CO₂ transported from the emitter by pipeline or ship to the reception facility, where it will be forwarded to one of the existing natural underground storage structures for injection in new, dedicated CO₂ wells. Norne has the ambition to store more than 30mt of CO₂/year by 2030 (equivalent to over half of Denmark's yearly emissions).

Photo: Fidelis New Energy