Fugro on ground investigation duty for Equinor’s European CO2 highway

Fugro is performing a comprehensive ground investigation offshore Belgium for a new CO2 highway developed by Norwegian state-owned energy giant Equinor which will be used for transporting CO2 between mainland Europe and Norway.

Fugro said its data acquisition will allow Equinor to quickly calculate ground risk and reduce uncertainty for the 1,000-kilometer-long planned CO2 Highway Europe pipeline project, seen as a game-changer for CO2 transport and storage in northwestern Europe.

Fugro’s liveboard jack-up platform WaveWalker is carrying out the ground investigation at the site’s coastal location in Zeebrugge.

Before the site works, Fugro conducted a search for unexploded ordnance (UXO) to ensure WaveWalker could be safely deployed and ensure feasibility for the full ground investigation scope. This includes geotechnical borehole drilling, high-quality sampling, and downhole cone penetration tests (CPTs).

The ground investigation will provide Equinor with insights for the development of the landfall, and for deep pipeline burial under the Scheur ship channel, said to be vital to ensure safe and efficient installation of the CO2 pipeline.

The 1.000-kilometer-long CO2 pipeline is planned to start from CO2 hubs in Zeebrugge, Belgium, and Dunkirk, France, connected to storage wells at the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS).

Fugro’s geotechnical work is part of the maturation of the project ahead of a potential investment decision. The project is expected to come on stream in 2030.

Matthew Chappell, Regional Nearshore Service Line Director Europe and Africa, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for our Fugro teams across Europe to deliver critical data acquisition works for Equinor, especially within the pioneering CCUS sector which aligns with our mission to help create a safe and liveable world.”

This contract award comes off the back of the marine geotechnical campaign Fugro had already completed, when two vessels were deployed in August, first Fugro Galaxy, performing CPT and Vibrocore sampling along the CO2 highway route, and Fugro Meridian then taking over to complete the deep-water sections.

To remind, this summer Equinor signed a project development agreement (PDA) with French gas transmission operator GRTgaz for a transport system for captured CO2 from industrial emitters in France to permanent storage offshore Norway via the planned pipeline.