Europe Launches the World’s First Liquefied CO₂ Tanker

Today, the Royal Niestern Sander shipyard in the Netherlands witnessed the launch of the world’s first marine tanker designed to transport liquefied carbon dioxide (CO₂). This groundbreaking vessel marks a major step in Europe’s efforts to combat climate change through large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS).

The vessel will carry up to 400,000 tons of CO₂ annually to the depleted Nini West oil field off the Danish coast, where the gas will be injected 1,800 meters below sea level. It is the first commercial project in the world dedicated to long-term CO₂ burial.

The initiative is part of Project Greensand, led by Denmark and approved in December 2024. Captured CO₂ — sourced from industrial sites across Europe — could be mineralized or locked underground for thousands of years.

The tanker is the result of a partnership between INEOS Energy and Dutch offshore shipping firm Wagenborg Offshore. While the initial phase will manage 400,000 tons of CO₂ per year, the project aims to scale up to 8 million tons annually by the end of the decade.

The vessel is expected to become operational in late 2025 or early 2026. It features state-of-the-art cooling and control systems tailored for liquefied CO₂ handling — a global first in maritime decarbonization technology.