Bernhard Schulte has christened its first liquefied CO2 (LCO2) carrier, marking the company’s entry into the carbon capture and storage (CCS)-related shipping segment.
The vessel, named Northern Purpose, was christened on May 19 at Dalian Shipbuilding Offshore (DSOC) in China and will support the Northern Lights CCS project, a cross-border CO2 transport and storage development in Norway.
Following delivery, the vessel will enter a long-term time charter transporting captured CO2 from industrial customers in Northwest Europe to Norway for permanent geological storage beneath the Norwegian continental shelf.
The vessel is the fourth dedicated LCO2 carrier for Northern Lights and the first of its type in Bernhard Schulte’s fleet.
Northern Purpose has a cargo capacity of 7,500 cubic meters distributed across two cylindrical pressure tanks and is designed to transport liquefied CO2 at low temperatures and medium pressure.
The LCO2 carrier is equipped with an LNG dual-fuel propulsion system, as well as a wind-assisted rotor sail and air lubrication system aimed at reducing operational emissions.
The vessel will be managed by Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, adding LCO2 carriers to its managed fleet portfolio of more than 670 vessels.
“Our new LCO2 carrier marks the exciting expansion of Bernhard Schulte’s fleet portfolio into this innovative tanker segment. We are delighted to be part of Northern Lights’ industry-leading project to provide CO2 transport and storage infrastructure.
“The close collaboration with DSOC as selected shipbuilding partner underscores our long-standing relationships with Chinese shipyards,” said Johann Schulte, Majority Shareholder of the Schulte Group and Chief Commercial Officer of Bernhard Schulte.
“We welcome the Northern Purpose into the world’s first fleet of dedicated CO2 carriers. The delivery of the Northen Purpose marks an important milestone in scaling the transportation capacity needed to support Europe’s decarbonization. We are looking forward to working with Bernhard Schulte to deliver safe, efficient and reliable operations for many years to come,” added Tim Heijn, Managing Director in Northern Lights.