The Norne project aims to deliver what is described as a world-scale CO2 reception infrastructure and unlock economies of scale for Denmark and the European Union, say its developers.
Since establishing an exclusive partnership in 2021, the Norne Carbon Storage Hub, a Fidelis New Energy, LLC portfolio company, and the Port of Aalborg have executed definitive agreements for the Norne CO2 reception facility, with the initial site designed to handle 15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.
As co-applicants, Norne and the Port of Aalborg, were awarded a Connecting Europe Facility (“CEF”) Energy grant by the European Union. CEF is an EU programme focused on accelerating the development of strategic cross-border energy infrastructure. The grant will co-fund the development and construction of a new quay to support the Norne CO2 reception facilities serving multiple Danish onshore and near-shore CO2 storage facilities as well as the beneficial use of CO2 in industrial applications and decarbonised fuels.
Norne has completed the front end engineering design studies for both the CO2 reception facility and a connecting pipeline to nearby CO2 storage. In addition, extensive environmental and ecological assessments have been completed.
Norne’s designation as a Project of Common Interest (“PCI”), by the EU in 2023, further streamlines the permitting process, enabling a faster environmental impact assessment for the pipeline than otherwise would have been possible without the already completed work and the PCI status.
Building on the exclusive lease agreement and the CEF grant award, Norne and the Port of Aalborg will commence construction of a new 500-metre quay in the Port of Aalborg, corresponding to an area of 60 000 square metres of quay space. The new quay space will host the CO2 reception and connecting infrastructure, “advancing Denmark’s carbon capture and storage ecosystem.”
Norne aims to provide European emitters access to an excellent deepwater port and cost-effective and safe onshore and nearshore CO2 storage. It plans to make use of two of Denmark’s existing natural underground storage structures for CO2 sequestration.
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.
Norne aims to begin storing its customers’ carbon dioxide starting in mid-2027. The CO2 will be transported from the emitter by pipeline or ship to Norne where it will be transported to one of the underground storage structures where it will be injected via new, dedicated CO2 wells. Norne has the ambition to store more than 30 million tons of CO2 per year by 2030. This is equivalent to over half of Denmark’s yearly CO2 emissions.
Fidelis and Norne have been working since 2021 to make the Port of Aalborg a key CO2 hub, “enabling economic and safe storage of CO2 onshore and near shore,” said Kristian Thulesen Dahl, CEO of the Port of Aalborg. “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.”
Fidelis drives decarbonisation
Fidelis is an energy infrastructure company which describes itself as “driving decarbonisation through infrastructure development and investments in biofuels, low- or negative-carbon intensity products, and carbon capture and storage.” Fidelis says it employs a growing portfolio of proprietary, patented, and patent-pending technologies to address climate and energy security challenges. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Fidelis also maintains an office in Copenhagen.
AtmosClear, a portfolio company of Fidelis, recently announced that it has signed a contract with Microsoft for 6.75 million metric tons of engineered carbon removal over 15 years to be provided via bioenergy carbon capture & storage (BECCS). The deal is the world’s largest for permanent carbon removal to date, says Fidelis.
The carbon capture will be done at a facility AtmosClear is developing in the Port of Greater Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The plant will use sustainable biomass such as sugarcane bagasse and trimmings from prudent forest management to produce clean power while capturing 680 000 metric tons of biogenic carbon dioxide per year for permanent storage or beneficial use, such as a feedstock for low-carbon natural gas or other synthetic fuels.
Construction is planned to start in 2026 and commercial operations in 2029.
