Shell and Partners to Drive $700M Phase 2 of Northern Lights Project

Energy giant Shell plc SHEL, along with its partners TotalEnergies SE TTE and Equinor ASA EQNR, has made a final investment decision to expand the Northern Lights project to boost Europe's carbon capture and storage (CCS) infrastructure. By 2028, the second phase of the Northern Lights project will increase the CO2 storage capacity from 1.5 million to more than 5 million tons per year, highlighting the efforts made to combat climate change.An Insight Into the Northern Lights ProjectNorthern Lights is the world’s first commercial CO2 transportation and storage project, playing a key role in Norway’s plan to reduce emissions and lead global efforts in decarbonization, rolled out in 2020. The project deals with capturing CO2 from industrial sources and storing it under the seabed in the North Sea permanently. The project is jointly held by Shell, TotalEnergies and Equinor, sharing an equal holding of 33.3% each.Under the project, Equinor is responsible for managing the construction of both the onshore and offshore facilities. TotalEnergies is responsible for providing cutting-edge technical support. For Shell, this project adds another feather to its cap as it already has a strong presence in Norway. The company views this project as a starting point for a new business model that aims to reduce CO2 emissions.An Overview of the First Phase of the ProjectThe first stage of the Northern Lights project was supported by the Norwegian government and had a capacity of 1.5 million tons of CO2 per year, which was completely reserved by customers in Norway and continental Europe.In September 2024, TotalEnergies announced the completion of the CO2 receiving and storage facilities of the Northern Lights Joint Venture in Norway.The first phase is now operational, with CO2 transportation set to commence this summer. Heidelberg Materials’ cement factory in Brevik, Norway, will be the first to ship carbon emissions for secure storage in an underground reservoir 2.6 km beneath the seabed off Øygarden, western Norway.Strengthening PartnershipsThe second phase of the investment decision is followed by the recently signed 15-year commercial agreement between Northern Lights and Swedish district energy provider Stockholm Exergi. Under this deal, Stockholm Exergi will transport and store 900,000 tons of biogenic CO2, annually from 2028.This agreement marks Stockholm Exergi as the fifth company to partner in the project for carbon storage, following commitments from Heidelberg Materials, Celsio (Norway), Yara (Netherlands) and Ørsted (Denmark). With rising demand for carbon storage solutions, Northern Lights is in advanced talks with several large European industrial players to utilize the remaining capacity.A Milestone for the CCS IndustryTotalEnergies highlighted that this investment will bring about a transformation in the CCS industry, providing new prospects for large-scale carbon storage. The project will not only benefit the companies working on it but also the regulatory bodies that are working consistently toward a low-carbon future.Zacks Names #1 Semiconductor StockIt's only 1/9,000th the size of NVIDIA which skyrocketed more than +800% since we recommended it. NVIDIA is still strong, but our new top chip stock has much more room to boom.With strong earnings growth and an expanding customer base, it's positioned to feed the rampant demand for Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Internet of Things. Global semiconductor manufacturing is projected to explode from $452 billion in 2021 to $803 billion by 2028.See This Stock Now for Free >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Equinor ASA (EQNR): Free Stock Analysis Report TotalEnergies SE Sponsored ADR (TTE): Free Stock Analysis Report Shell PLC Unsponsored ADR (SHEL): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks