Japanese shipping major Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha and Malaysia-based maritime group MISC Berhad have signed charter and shipbuilding agreements for a 12,000-cubic-meter liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO₂) carrier, marking a significant step in supporting carbon transport infrastructure for Europe’s carbon capture initiatives.
The vessel will be deployed as part of the second phase of the Northern Lights project, one of the world’s first large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) networks. Northern Lights aims to transport and permanently store captured carbon dioxide from industrial emitters beneath the seabed in the North Sea.
Under the agreement, the partners will collaborate on building and operating the specialized carrier designed to transport liquefied CO₂ safely and efficiently from European industrial sites to storage facilities. The vessel’s 12,000-m³ capacity will support the expanded CO₂ transport requirements expected under Northern Lights Phase 2.
Liquefied CO₂ carriers are a critical component of CCS logistics, enabling captured emissions from factories and power plants to be transported by sea to offshore storage locations. Industry experts say demand for such vessels is likely to grow rapidly as governments and companies scale up decarbonization projects.
The partnership between K Line and MISC reflects increasing global investment in low-carbon maritime solutions and specialized vessels tailored to emerging energy transition infrastructure.
Once delivered, the new carrier will help strengthen the maritime transport chain supporting carbon capture and storage operations, contributing to broader efforts to reduce industrial greenhouse gas emissions across Europe.