A Look Inside Northern Lights

As an intern at GCE Ocean Technology, with no prior expertise in the field of carbon capture and storage, I was excited to see first-hand how this technology works – and what it could mean for the future.

Written by Silje Sundby Melby.

Norway´s ambitious Longship initiative is paving the way for large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS), and the Northern Lights project in Øygarden is at the heart of it.

The facility is designed to store CO2 in reservoirs deep under the seabed, ensuring safe and permanent storage.

Expectations for the Day

I was looking forward to joining GCE Ocean Technology's site-visit and getting a better understanding of how CO2 emissions are managed – from capture to storage.

I had read about CCS before, but I was curious to see how it works in practice and what challenges come with it.

The visit changed my perspective. Before coming there, I didn't understand just how complex CCS really is. Now, I see how much collaboration and innovation is needed to make it work.

First Impressions

Arriving at the facility, I was immediately struck by the scale of the project.

Even without an engineering background, I understood that this was an ambitious and highly technical operation.

Seeing the infrastructure up close really put into perspective how much effort is going into making CCS a reality.

What We Did

The visit started with a presentation from Geir Grøttveit, giving us an overview of how the facility works.

We were supposed to go on a guided tour, but due to activity on-site, this wasn´t possible.

However, the team did a great job explaining everything with detailed presentations and clear illustrations, making it easy to understand even for me without any technical expertise.

We also heard from industry expert Ronny Haufe from CCB Energy about the opportunities CCS can create for various sectors.

It was interesting to learn that this technology isn´t just about reducing emissions – it can also open doors for new business models and innovations.

Key Takeaways

One of my biggest takeaways was realizing the complexity of CCS and the amount of collaboration needed to make it work.

It´s not just about capturing CO2 – it involves transport, logistics, regulatory frameworks, and international cooperation.

It’s inspiring to see how Norway is leading the way in CCS, and I´m excited to follow the progress of Northern Lights as it moves towards operation in 2025.