‘First-of-its-kind’ open-access CO2 storage concept gets €225 million EU support

UK’s energy services provider Altera Infrastructure and oil and gas company Harbour Energy have secured up to €225 million in grant funding from the EU Innovation Fund for what is said to be the first-of-its-kind large-scale solution for CO2 sequestration using shared, flexible offshore infrastructure.

The STARFISH (Sequestration Technology And Reservoir: Floating Injection and Storage in Havstjerne) project, part of the broader Stella Maris CCS initiative, focuses on an open-access CO2 storage concept that allows captured emissions from multiple sources to be stored in the Havstjerne reservoir, located 100 kilometers southwest of Egersund in Norway.

The project partners were awarded an exploration license for the reservoir in 2023, with Phase 1 expected to enable the storage of 42.75 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent over the first 10 years. This effort is projected to avoid 42 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions, with a relative greenhouse gas (GHG) avoidance potential of 98%.

According to Altera, STARFISH is the first offshore CO2 storage project designed to transport liquid CO2 via purpose-built ships directly to an offshore reservoir. The project will feature a specially designed injection unit capable of directly receiving large volumes of liquid CO2 from transport vessels for secure and permanent storage.

“This funding award is a significant validation of our innovative Stella Maris CCS approach to CO₂ transport and storage infrastructure. As we work towards achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement, CCS projects like STARFISH are essential for safely and permanently storing captured CO₂,” said Duncan Donaldson, Acting CEO of Altera Infrastructure.

The funding is subject to the conclusion of the Grant Agreement Preparation process, expected to be finalized by Q1 2025, following necessary checks and reviews.