DNV Finds Aker BP, Höegh Evi's Offshore CO2 Injection Concept Feasible
October 29, 2026
DNV has issued a Statement of Feasibility for Aker BP and Höegh Evi's concept to transport liquefied carbon dioxide (CO2) by shuttle carriers and inject it directly into subsea wells for permanent storage at the Atlas project offshore Norway.
The assessment covers the offshore infrastructure required to transfer CO2 from vessels into the reservoir, with DNV concluding that the main technical challenges and uncertainties identified are manageable at the current stage of development.
The Atlas project, located on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS), is designed to inject up to 6 million tonnes of CO2 annually in its initial phase, with potential for further expansion.
The storage license has an estimated total capacity of 150 million tonnes, with first injection targeted for 2031 and operations expected to continue for more than 25 years.
Under the preferred development concept, shuttle carriers operated by Höegh Evi would transport liquefied CO2 to the offshore storage site, where an offshore loading system and subsea lines would transfer it directly into injection wells.
The approach would eliminate the need for new onshore facilities, cross-border pipelines and permanent offshore structures, while retaining pipeline transport as a future option.
DNV's assessment was carried out using its technology qualification methodology under DNV-RP-A203 and DNV-SE-0160, identifying technical challenges requiring further design development and verification.
“Direct injection from ship to reservoir requires the marine, subsea and injection systems to function as one integrated value chain. While further verification and maturation work will be needed as the project progresses, our assessment demonstrates that the concept is technically feasible and provides a sound basis for continued development,” said Prajeev Rasiah, Senior Vice-President & Regional Director for Northern Europe, Energy Systems at DNV.
The latest milestone follows earlier DNV Approvals in Principle for Höegh Evi's liquefied CO2 carrier and floating CO2 reception and conditioning terminal (FCSO).
Under the proposed transport system, captured CO2 from European industrial emitters would be delivered to a floating terminal for aggregation, purification and liquefaction before shipment to the offshore storage site.
The terminal is designed to accommodate between 40,000 and 80,000 cubic meters of intermediate storage, while each shuttle carrier could transport up to 50,000 cubic meters per voyage.
The floating terminal's conditioning operations were not included in the scope of the latest DNV feasibility assessment.
Atlas Targets 2031 Start-Up
The EXL011 Atlas license was awarded by the Norwegian Ministry of Energy in September 2024 and is operated by Aker BP with an 80% interest, alongside ORLEN with 20%.
In October 2026, Aker BP and Höegh Evi were awarded $248.6 million (€223 million) from the EU Innovation Fund to support implementation of the Atlas cross-border CO2 transport and storage network, subject to a final investment decision (FID) in 2028.
The project was also included in the European Commission's second Union list of Projects of Common Interest and Projects of Mutual Interest in April 2026.
Subject to future investment decisions, Atlas is planned to begin operations in 2031.
The marine-based direct-injection concept could also be applied at Aker BP's EXL005 Poseidon CO2 storage license on the NCS, where a similar subsea development approach is being evaluated.
