The Bernhard Schulte shipping company is to add its first tanker for liquefied carbon dioxide to its fleet. The ship was christened “Northern Purpose” at the Dalian shipyard in China.
For the shipping company, which is part of the Schulte Group, the newbuild marks a “milestone in the strategic expansion” of the Group in the context of carbon capture and storage (CCS).
The “Northern Purpose”, built at Dalian Shipbuilding Offshore (DSOC) in China, is specially designed for the transportation of liquefied CO₂ as part of the “Northern Lights” project. This is the world’s first cross-border infrastructure for the transportation and storage of CO₂.
After its delivery, the ship will be transferred to a long-term time charter and will support the “safe and efficient transportation” of captured CO₂ from industrial customers in north-western Europe to Norway for permanent storage under the seabed.
“Our new LCO₂ carrier marks the exciting addition of this innovative tanker segment to Bernhard Schulte’s fleet portfolio. We are delighted to be part of the industry-leading ‘Northern Lights’ project, which provides infrastructure for CO₂ transportation and storage,” says Johann Schulte, majority shareholder of the Schulte Group and Chief Commercial Officer of Bernhard Schulte. “The close cooperation with DSOC as a selected shipbuilding partner underlines our long-standing relationship with Chinese shipyards.”
“We welcome the ‘Northern Purpose’ to the world’s first fleet of specialized CO₂ carriers,” added Tim Heijin, Managing Director at Northern Lights. The delivery represents an important milestone in scaling the transport capacity needed to support the decarbonization of Europe. “We look forward to working with Bernhard Schulte to ensure safe, efficient and reliable vessel operations for many years to come.”
The construction and successful delivery of the ship is also a big step in China. “We are honored to strengthen Bernhard Schulte’s fleet with this state-of-the-art vessel,” said Sun Yingzhi, Chairman of DSOC. “DSOC reaffirms its commitment to continuing its partnerships with Bernhard Schulte and Northern Lights; together we are joining forces to advance the global green and clean energy sector and promote the high-quality development of the international shipping industry.”
Fourth tanker for the “Northern Lights” project
The newbuild is the first ship of this type for the Bernhard Schulte fleet and the fourth LCO₂ carrier for Northern Lights. All four vessels are sister ships with an identical design and each have a loading capacity of 7,500 m³, spread over two cylindrical pressure tanks. They are designed to handle CO₂ safely at low temperatures and medium pressure, ensuring operational safety throughout the transportation chain. The four vessels are the first of their kind to transport CO₂ from European emitters to Northern Lights’ CO₂ receiving terminal in Øygarden before it is permanently stored under the Norwegian continental shelf.
The Northern Purpose features a range of technologies aimed at reducing its operational carbon footprint. The ship is equipped with an LNG dual-fuel propulsion system. In combination with other proven technologies – in particular a wind-assisted rotor sail and an air lubrication system – this results in significantly lower CO₂ emissions.
The ship is managed by Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM), a company that also belongs to the Schulte Group. The “Northern Purpose” marks BSM’s entry into the management of liquid CO₂ carriers and adds a new type of ship to the company’s global fleet, which now comprises more than 670 managed vessels.
Facts about the ship
- Capacity: 7,500 m³ of liquid CO₂
- Two cylindrical cargo tanks
- Length: 130 m
- Transport conditions for the cargo: maximum 19 bar (overpressure) and minimum temperature of -35 °C
- LNG dual-fuel propulsion system
- Installed wind-assisted rotor sail and air lubrication system
