Denmark-based energy infrastructure company Fidelis New Energy’s portfolio company, Norne, and the Port of Aalborg have inked a definitive 30-year agreement for the Norne carbon dioxide (CO2) reception facility.
As disclosed, the newly launched Norne Carbon Storage Hub is now also backed by an EU Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) grant, which is focused on accelerating the development of strategic cross-border energy infrastructure.
As noted, the site has been launched following the completion of front-end engineering and design (FEED) studies.
Officials from Fidelis New Energy have shared that the CEF funding will be used to co-fund the development and construction of a brand-new 500-metre quay at the Port of Aalborg to support the Norne CO2 facilities that are serving several Danish onshore and near-shore carbon dioxide storage sites. As divulged, one of the goals is to explore the industrial utilization of CO2 as well as its use as a resource to manufacture decarbonized fuels.
The agreement for this initiative was penned by the port and Norne back in 2021. According to Norne, the site comprises carbon dioxide reception facilities that are able to receive both domestic and international CO2, and pipelines designed to transport the gas to storage facilities nestled in the country’s underground.
The hub’s initial site is reportedly anticipated to handle at least 15 million tonnes of CO2 per year by mid-2030s . As informed, this is the equivalent of over a quarter of Denmark’s yearly carbon dioxide emissions.
The Norne site is described as a ‘means’ to deliver “world-scale” carbon dioxide reception infrastructure and breathe new life into the marine economies of Denmark and, further, the European Union. Simultaneously, the endeavor seeks to help nations achieve their 2030 and 2050 decarbonization goals , the project partners have unveiled.
“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 decarbonization solutions ,” Lars Bo Christiansen , President of Norne, remarked.
The company stated that environmental and ecological assessments were also performed. In November 2023, Norne was recognized as a Project of Common Interest (PCI) by the EU, which is said to have enabled a ‘faster’ environmental impact assessment for the pipeline than would otherwise be possible without the PCI status.
It was in 2023, specifically in May, that Norne and the Port of Aalborg announced that they would set up Denmark’s first facility for handling captured carbon dioxide. As disclosed at the time, the plant would receive up to four million tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions annually starting from 2026, with the chance of doubling the capacity in the future.
Fidelis New Energy unveiled that, in 2027, it will supplement the large facility in Aalborg with additional sites in Kalundborg.
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