Aker Solutions, Vår Energi and KNCC Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Advance the Trudvang CCS Project in the North Sea

The partnership combines the strengths of three industry leaders, spanning offshore engineering, CO₂ storage development and operations, and marine transportation. The MoU reflects a shared ambition to strengthen the Trudvang CO₂ transportation and storage project and establish robust, flexible, and commercially attractive CO₂ transport and storage solutions for European industrial customers.

The Trudvang project offers flexible transport and storage services for customers. By combining KNCC’s specialized CO₂ carriers, equipped with dynamic positioning systems, with Aker Solutions’ techno-economic expertise, simplified and standardized technical solutions, and proven CCS EPC capabilities, the project supports the design of an unmanned CO₂ injection platform and enables direct offshore batch injection.

The concept is designed for scalability and replicability enabling initial injection volumes of approximately 2 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa), with the potential to scale to more than 20 Mtpa.

Trudvang will inject CO₂ into the Utsira Formation, a proven world-class CO₂ storage site. The project benefits from operational experience in the nearby Sleipner field, where CO₂ has been successfully stored in the Utsira aquifer for nearly 30 years. This track record reinforces the Trudvang as a reliable and scalable pathway for long-term industrial decarbonization.

Under the MoU, the parties will work together to optimize the technical and commercial framework for the project, focusing on:

• Joint engagement with customers, regulators, and other stakeholders to strengthen market confidence
• Flexible logistics to develop CO₂ transportation scenarios for both medium pressure (MP) and elevated pressure (EP) modes to accommodate different value chain requirements
• Infrastructure optimization on the unmanned platform designs and subsea solutions to minimize the environmental footprint and reduce operational costs
• Direct offshore injection to mature the interface between CO₂ vessels and offshore receiving facilities and ensure seamless, safe operations in the North Sea environment

Aker Solutions delivers integrated solutions, products and services to the global energy industry. In CCS, the company has been designing and delivering successful CO₂ projects since the 1990s, including flagship developments such as Northern Lights, Brevik CCS and Oslo CCS. With strong engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning capabilities, Aker Solutions acts as a turnkey supplier, delivering industrial-scale solutions across the globe.

Trudvang is the company which holds the EXL007 CO₂ licence, on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, as awarded by the Norwegian Ministry of Energy in September 2023. Trudvang is at the date of this MoU owned by Vår Energi CCS AS with 40% equity, INPEX Idemitsu Norge AS with 30% equity and Storegga Norge AS with 30%. 

KNCC is a joint venture established by Knutsen Group and NYKLine. KNCC serves as the designated gateway for developing and executing LCO₂ marine transportation business on behalf of both owners. In addition to offering medium pressure and low-pressure transportation options, KNCC owns proprietary technology for handling liquefied CO₂ at ambient temperature and elevated pressure. KNCC owners’ together own and operate the largest shuttle tanker fleet primarily operating in the North Sea.